Wiper control apparatus and wiper apparatus for vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a wiper control apparatus and a wiper apparatus for a vehicle. The wiper apparatus for a vehicle reciprocates a wiper between a lower reverse position and an upper reverse position by reciprocatingly rotating a rotating shaft of a wiper motor. The wiper control device for the wiper device comprises a processor, and the processor is used for controlling the operation of the wiper. When the processor receives a notification of prediction that the vehicle will collide with a person while the wiper is operating, the processor switches operation of the wiper according to a moving direction of the wiper.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wiper control apparatus and a wiper apparatus for a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] In Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-319887, the following technology is described: when the wiper is operating, when it is determined that there is a possibility of a collision with a pedestrian in front of the vehicle in the direction of travel, the control state of the wiper is released, and the wiper control relay for Hi is used to operate at high speed (Hi) to return the wiper to the initial position (stop position) (for example, see paragraph

[0034] ).

[0003] In the technology described in JP 2005-319887 A, there may be a case where, based on the position and movement direction of the wiper when a collision with a pedestrian is predicted, even when the wiper is switched to high-speed operation (Hi), the wiper cannot be moved to the stop position in time within the amount of time before an actual collision with a pedestrian occurs. In this case, there is a risk that a pedestrian who has collided with the vehicle and has been thrown onto the windshield comes into contact with the wiper. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present disclosure provides a wiper control apparatus and a wiper apparatus for a vehicle, which quickly moves a wiper to a predetermined stop position when it is predicted that the vehicle will collide with a person.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is a wiper control device for a wiper device of a vehicle. The wiper device reciprocates a wiper between a lower reverse position and an upper reverse position by reciprocating a rotation shaft of a wiper motor. The wiper control device includes a processor configured to control the operation of the wiper. The processor is configured to switch the operation of the wiper according to the moving direction of the wiper when the processor receives a notification of a prediction that the vehicle will collide with a person while the wiper is operating.

[0006] The wiper device in the present disclosure has a configuration of reciprocating the wiper by reciprocating the rotating shaft of the wiper motor, so that the operation of the wiper device (for example, the moving direction and moving speed of the wiper) can be switched at a freely selected moment. Based on the above, in the present scheme, when it is predicted that the vehicle will collide with a person, the operation of the wiper device is switched according to the moving direction of the wiper. As a result, when it is predicted that the vehicle will collide with a person, the wiper can be quickly moved to a predetermined stop position. The predetermined stop position may be a lower reverse position, or may be a position below the lower reverse position. The "person" in the present disclosure may include pedestrians, people riding two-wheeled vehicles such as bicycles, and the like.

[0007] The processor may be configured to immediately switch the moving direction of the wiper to an off direction when the processor receives the notification and the moving direction of the wiper is an on direction.

[0008] As described above, the wiper device in the present disclosure has a configuration for reciprocating the wiper by reciprocatingly rotating the rotating shaft of the wiper motor. Therefore, even at a moment when the moving direction of the wiper is an opening direction (a direction from a lower reverse position toward an upper reverse position) and the wiper is located between the lower reverse position and the upper reverse position, the moving direction of the wiper can be switched by the reverse rotation of the rotating shaft of the wiper motor. Based on the above, when it is predicted that the vehicle will collide with a person, when the moving direction of the wiper is an opening direction, the moving direction of the wiper is immediately switched to a closing direction (a direction from an upper reverse position toward a lower reverse position). As a result, the wiper can be quickly moved to a predetermined stop position.

[0009] The processor may be configured to switch the moving speed of the wiper to one of a plurality of speeds. The processor may be configured to switch the moving speed of the wiper to a fastest speed among the plurality of speeds when the processor receives the notification.

[0010] When it is predicted that the vehicle will collide with a person, the moving speed of the wiper is switched to the fastest speed among the multiple speeds. As a result, the time it takes for the wiper to reach the predetermined stop position can be shortened compared to the case where the moving speed of the wiper is not switched.

[0011] The processor may be configured to switch the moving speed of the wiper to one of a plurality of speeds. The processor may be configured to switch the moving speed of the wiper to a speed even faster than the fastest speed of the plurality of speeds when the processor receives the notification.

[0012] When it is predicted that the host vehicle will collide with a person, the moving speed of the wiper is switched to a speed even faster than the fastest speed among the plurality of speeds. As a result, the amount of time taken for the wiper to reach the predetermined stop position can be shortened even more than when the moving speed of the wiper is switched to the fastest speed among the plurality of speeds. For example, setting the moving speed of the wiper even faster than the fastest speed among the plurality of speeds can be achieved by increasing the current supplied to the wiper motor compared to the current at the fastest speed.

[0013] The processor may be configured to operate a pop-up hood device that raises an end of a hood of the vehicle when the processor receives the notification.

[0014] When it is predicted that the host vehicle will collide with a person, the pop-up hood device is operated to raise the rear end of the hood of the host vehicle. As a result, the area covered by the rear end of the hood by the wiper is expanded, and the degree of injury to the person due to contact with the wiper can be reduced.

[0015] Another embodiment of the present disclosure is a wiper device for a vehicle. The wiper device includes a wiper, a wiper motor having a rotation shaft, and a processor configured to control the operation of the wiper. The wiper motor is configured to reciprocate the rotation shaft to reciprocate the wiper between a lower reverse position and an upper reverse position. The processor is configured to switch the operation of the wiper according to the moving direction of the wiper when the processor receives a notification of a prediction that the vehicle will collide with a person while the wiper is operating.

[0016] The present disclosure has an effect of being able to quickly move the wiper to a predetermined stop position when it is predicted that the vehicle will collide with a person. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like elements, and in which:

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a wiper device and a wiper control device according to a first embodiment;

[0019] Figure 2 This is the functional block diagram of the wiper control ECU;

[0020] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing a wiper control process according to the first embodiment;

[0021] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing a wiper control process according to a second embodiment;

[0022] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing a wiper device and a wiper control device according to a third embodiment;

[0023] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing a wiper control process according to a third embodiment;

[0024] Figure 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which the pop-up hood device is operated in the third embodiment; and

[0025] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing another configuration example of the wiper device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] An example of an embodiment of the present disclosure is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] First embodiment

[0028] like Figure 1 As shown, the wiper device 10 according to the first embodiment is a device for wiping a windshield 12 provided in a vehicle such as a passenger car, for example, and includes a pair of wipers 14, 20, a wiper motor 26, a link mechanism 30, and a wiper control device 32. The wiper control device 32 is one example of a vehicle wiper control device according to the present disclosure.

[0029] The wiper 14 includes a wiper arm 16 having a proximal end fixed to a pivot axis (not shown) and a wiper blade 18 coupled to a distal end of the wiper arm 16. The wiper 20 includes a wiper arm 22 having a proximal end fixed to a pivot axis (not shown) and a wiper blade 24 coupled to a distal end of the wiper arm 22. When the wiper arms 16, 22 of the wipers 14, 20 pivotally move about the pivot axis, the wiper blades 18, 24 reciprocate on the windshield 12. The wiper blades 18, 24 wipe the windshield 12.

[0030] The wiper motor 26 has a rotating shaft on which a gear mechanism 28 is mounted. A link mechanism 30 is provided between the output shaft of the gear mechanism 28 and the pivot axis of the wiper arms 16, 22. In the wiper device 10, when the rotating shaft of the wiper motor 26 reciprocates within a predetermined rotation angle range, the rotational force of the rotating shaft of the wiper motor 26 is decelerated by the gear mechanism 28 and transmitted to the wiper arms 16, 22 via the link mechanism 30. As a result, the wiper arms 16, 22 pivotally move in a reciprocating manner, and the wiper blades 18, 24 reciprocate between the lower reversal position P2 and the upper reversal position P1 on the windshield 12.

[0031] The wiper control device 32 is connected to the wiper motor 26 , and includes a rotation angle sensor 34 , a wiper motor drive circuit 36 ​​, and a wiper control electronic control unit (ECU) 38 .

[0032] The rotation angle sensor 34 is provided in the gear mechanism 28, magnetically detects the rotation of the output shaft of the gear mechanism 28, and outputs a detection signal to the wiper control ECU 38. The wiper control ECU 38 detects the positions of the wiper blades 18, 24 on the windshield glass 12 and the operating directions of the wipers 14, 20 by calculating the rotation angle of the output shaft of the gear mechanism 28 based on the detection signal input from the rotation angle sensor 34.

[0033] The wiper motor drive circuit 36 ​​includes a plurality of switching elements, capable of turning on and off the energization to the coil of the wiper motor 26, and capable of switching the direction of the current flowing through the coil of the wiper motor 26 when energized. An example of the plurality of switching elements is four field effect transistors (FETs) connected to form an H-bridge circuit. The wiper motor drive circuit 36 ​​generates a drive signal that turns on and off the plurality of switching elements based on a control signal input from the wiper control ECU 38. The wiper motor drive circuit 36 ​​drives the wiper motor 26 by providing the generated drive signal to the switch element.

[0034] The wiper control ECU 38 includes a CPU 40, a memory 42, a nonvolatile storage unit 44, and an interface (I / F) unit 46, which are connected to each other via an internal bus 48. A wiper switch 52 is connected to the wiper control ECU 38. The wiper switch 52 is capable of switching the contact point to a low-speed operation position (Lo) in which the wiper blades 18, 24 move at a low speed, a high-speed operation position (Hi) in which the wiper blades 18, 24 move at a high speed, an intermittent operation position (Int) in which the wiper blades 18, 24 intermittently move at a specific cycle, and a stop position (Off).

[0035] When the contact point of the wiper switch 52 is at the high-speed operating position, the wiper control ECU 38 outputs a control signal to the wiper motor drive circuit 36, which drives the wiper motor 26 so that the wiper blades 18 and 24 reciprocate at high speed to wipe the position between the upper reverse position P1 and the lower reverse position P2. When the contact point of the wiper switch 52 is at the low-speed operating position, the wiper control ECU 38 outputs a control signal to the wiper motor drive circuit 36, which drives the wiper motor 26 so that the wiper blades 18 and 24 reciprocate at low speed to wipe the position between the upper reverse position P1 and the lower reverse position P2. When the contact point of the wiper switch 52 is in the intermittent working position, the wiper control ECU 38 outputs a control signal to the wiper motor drive circuit 36, which drives the wiper motor 26 so that the wiper blades 18, 24 reciprocate and wipe the position between the upper reverse position P1 and the lower reverse position P2 at a low speed, and stop at the lower reverse position P2 for a predetermined amount of time.

[0036] In the present embodiment, the change of the rotation speed of the rotating shaft of the wiper motor 26 is achieved by driving the wiper motor 26 through pulse width modulation (PWM) control. In other words, the wiper control ECU 38 switches the control signal so that the duty ratio of the switching element of the wiper motor drive circuit 36 ​​is switched between the high-speed operation (Hi) case and the low-speed operation (Lo / Int) case. As a result, as a result of the magnitude of the current flowing through the coil of the wiper motor 26 switching between the high-speed operation (Hi) case and the low-speed operation (Lo / Int) case, the rotation speed of the rotating shaft of the wiper motor 26 is switched.

[0037] The wiper control program 50 is stored in the storage unit 44 of the wiper control ECU 38. The wiper control program 50 is read out from the storage unit 44 and loaded into the memory 42. The wiper control program 50 loaded into the memory 42 is executed by the CPU 40. As a result, the wiper control ECU 38 functions as Figure 2 The control unit 70 shown in the figure executes the wiper control process described later.

[0038] During the operation of the wiper device 10, when the collision prediction ECU 56 described later predicts that the host vehicle (the vehicle on which the wiper device 10 is installed) will collide with a person, the control unit 70 switches the operation of the wiper device 10 according to the moving direction of the wipers 14, 20. In more detail, when it is predicted that the host vehicle will collide with the person, when the moving direction of the wipers 14, 20 is the opening direction, the control unit 70 immediately switches the moving direction of the wipers 14, 20 to the closing direction. The opening direction is the direction from the lower reverse position P2 toward the upper reverse position P1, and the closing direction is the direction from the upper reverse position P1 toward the lower reverse position P2. When the collision prediction ECU 56 predicts that the host vehicle will collide with the person, the control unit 70 switches the moving speed of the wipers 14, 20 to the fastest speed among the plurality of speeds (Hi / Lo, Int), that is, the high-speed operation (Hi) speed in the present first embodiment.

[0039] The wiper control ECU 38 is connected to a system bus 54 of the vehicle system. A plurality of ECUs including a collision prediction ECU 56 are connected to the system bus 54 ( Figure 1 ECUs other than the collision prediction ECU 56 are not shown in the figure). A camera 58 that captures the periphery of the host vehicle and a radar device 60 that detects the relative positions and relative speeds of objects such as pedestrians, two-wheeled vehicles such as bicycles, and other vehicles existing in the periphery of the host vehicle relative to the host vehicle are connected to the collision prediction ECU 56.

[0040] The collision prediction ECU 56 detects the positions of various objects appearing in the image captured by the camera 58 based on the information input from the radar device 60. The collision prediction ECU 56 extracts the feature quantity of each object, and discriminates the type of each object (pedestrian / two-wheeled vehicle / other vehicle, etc.) based on the extracted feature quantity. The collision prediction ECU 56 calculates the probability of collision with the host vehicle for each of the various objects. When the collision prediction ECU 56 detects an object whose probability of collision with the host vehicle is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (predicting a collision between the host vehicle and the object), the collision prediction ECU 56 sends a collision prediction signal to a predetermined ECU in the vehicle-mounted system including the wiper control ECU 38.

[0041] The collision prediction signal sent by the collision prediction ECU 56 also includes information indicating the type of collision prediction object (pedestrian / two-wheeled vehicle / other vehicle, etc.), and information indicating the collision direction with the collision prediction object based on the own vehicle (front collision / left collision / right collision / rear collision).

[0042] Next, as an effect of the first embodiment, refer to Figure 3 The wiper control process repeatedly executed by the wiper control ECU 38 when the ignition switch of the host vehicle is turned on is described.

[0043] In step 100 of the wiper control process, the control unit 70 of the wiper control ECU 38 determines whether the wiper device 10 is operating. When the contact point of the wiper switch 52 is the stop position (Off), step 100 is determined to be negative, and the wiper control process ends. When the contact point of the wiper switch 52 is other than the stop position (Off), step 100 is determined to be positive, and the process transitions to step 102.

[0044] In step 102, the control unit 70 determines whether a collision prediction signal is received from the collision prediction ECU 56. When the collision prediction signal is not received from the collision prediction ECU 56, step 102 is determined as negative, and the process returns to step 100 and repeats steps 100, 102. When the collision prediction signal is received from the collision prediction ECU 56, step 102 is determined as positive, and transition is made to step 104.

[0045] In step 104, the control unit 70 determines whether the collision predicted by the collision prediction ECU 56 is a front collision with a person (a pedestrian or a person riding a two-wheeled vehicle) based on the information about the collision type and direction of the collision prediction object included in the received collision prediction signal. For example, when the collision prediction object is a vehicle other than a two-wheeled vehicle or the direction of the collision is other than a front collision, it may not occur that the person collides with the vehicle and is thrown onto the windshield 12. Therefore, when step 104 is determined to be negative, the process returns to step 100 and steps 100 and thereafter are repeated.

[0046] Meanwhile, when the collision prediction object is a pedestrian or a two-wheeled vehicle, and the direction of the collision is a front collision, there is a possibility that a person will collide with the vehicle and be thrown onto the windshield 12 and directly contact the wipers 14, 20. Therefore, when step 104 is determined to be affirmative, the process switches to step 106, and in step 106 and subsequent steps, the operation of the wiper device 10 is switched so that the situation in which the person thrown onto the windshield 12 contacts the wipers 14, 20 is avoided.

[0047] In other words, in step 106, the control unit 70 detects the operating direction of the wipers 14, 20 based on the detection signal input from the rotation angle sensor 34. The control unit 70 determines whether the detected operating direction of the wipers 14, 20 is the opening direction or the closing direction. When the operating direction of the wipers 14, 20 is the opening direction, the process switches from step 106 to step 108.

[0048] In step 108, the control unit 70 switches the drive of the wiper motor 26 so that the working direction of the wipers 14, 20 is immediately reversed to the closing direction, and the working speed of the wipers 14, 20 in the closing direction becomes a speed corresponding to the high-speed operation (Hi). When the working direction of the wipers 14, 20 is the closing direction, the step 106 is switched to step 110. In step 110, the control unit 70 switches the drive of the wiper motor 26 so that the working speed of the wipers 14, 20 in the closing direction becomes a speed corresponding to the high-speed operation (Hi). As a result, the wiper blades 18, 24 of the wipers 14, 20 can be moved to the stop position (the lower reverse position P2 in the present embodiment) in a short amount of time compared to the case where the switching of the drive of the wiper motor 26 in step 108 or step 110 is not performed.

[0049] In the next step 118, the control unit 70 determines whether the wiper blades 18, 24 of the wipers 14, 20 have reached the predetermined stop position (the lower reverse position P2). When the determination is negative, the determination of step 118 is repeated until the determination becomes positive, and the drive of the wiper motor 26 is continued during this period. When the wiper blades 18, 24 of the wipers 14, 20 have reached the predetermined stop position (the lower reverse position P2), step 118 is determined to be positive, and the process is switched to step 120. Then, in step 120, the control unit 70 stops the operation of the wiper device 10 by stopping the drive of the wiper motor 26, and ends the execution of the wiper control process.

[0050] As described above, in the first embodiment, the wiper device 10 reciprocates the wipers 14, 20 between the lower reverse position P2 and the upper reverse position P1 by reciprocating the rotation shaft of the wiper motor 26. During the operation of the wiper device 10, when it is predicted that the host vehicle will collide with a person, the control unit 70 of the wiper control ECU 38 switches the operation of the wiper device 10 according to the moving direction of the wipers 14, 20. As a result, when it is predicted that the vehicle will collide with a person, the wiper blades 18, 24 of the wipers 14, 20 can be quickly moved to the predetermined stop position. Therefore, the possibility that the person who collides with the vehicle and is thrown onto the windshield 12 directly contacts the wipers 14, 20 can be reduced.

[0051] In the first embodiment, when it is predicted that the host vehicle will collide with a person, when the moving direction of the wipers 14, 20 is the opening direction, the control unit 70 immediately switches the moving direction of the wipers 14, 20 to the closing direction. As a result, the wiper blades 18, 24 of the wipers 14, 20 can be moved to the predetermined stop position in a more rapid manner.

[0052] In the first embodiment, the wiper device 10 can switch the moving speed of the wipers 14, 20 to any one of a plurality of speeds. When it is predicted that the host vehicle will collide with a person, the control unit 70 switches the moving speed of the wipers 14, 20 to the fastest speed (Hi) among the plurality of speeds. As a result, the amount of time taken for the wiper blades 18, 24 of the wipers 14, 20 to reach the predetermined stop position can be shortened compared to the case where the moving speed of the wipers 14, 20 is not switched.

[0053] Second embodiment

[0054] Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure is described. The same parts as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

[0055] When collision prediction ECU 56 predicts that the host vehicle will collide with a person, control unit 70 according to the second embodiment switches the moving speed of wipers 14, 20 to a maximum speed (hereinafter referred to as "Max") even faster than the highest speed operation (Hi) among the plurality of speeds.

[0056] In other words, Figure 4 As shown, in the wiper control process according to the second embodiment, in step 106, when the operating direction of the wipers 14, 20 is the opening direction, the process switches from step 106 to step 112. In step 112, the control unit 70 switches the driving of the wiper motor 26 so that the operating direction of the wipers 14, 20 is immediately reversed to the closing direction, and the operating speed of the wipers 14, 20 in the closing direction becomes the maximum speed operation (Max) which is even faster than the high speed operation (Hi).

[0057] In step 106, when the operating direction of the wipers 14, 20 is the closing direction, the process switches from step 106 to step 114. In step 114, the control unit 70 switches the driving of the wiper motor 26 so that the operating speed of the wipers 14, 20 in the closing direction becomes the maximum speed operation (Max) which is even faster than the high speed operation (Hi). When the process of step 112 or step 114 is executed, the process switches to step 118.

[0058] For example, setting the operating speed of the wipers 14, 20 to the maximum speed operation (Max) can be achieved by making the duty ratio of the switching element of the wiper motor drive circuit 36 ​​higher than the high speed operation (Hi) in step 112 or step 114. An example of the duty ratio of the switching element for obtaining the maximum speed operation (Max) is duty ratio = 100%. As a result, the current flowing through the coil of the wiper motor 26 becomes maximum, and thus the rotation speed of the rotating shaft of the wiper motor 26 becomes maximum.

[0059] As described above, when the operating speed of the wipers 14, 20 is switched to the maximum speed operation (Max), since the current flowing through the coil of the wiper motor 26 becomes a magnitude exceeding the rated value, there is a possibility that the wiper device 10 will fail. However, when the host vehicle collides with a person, control is performed to switch the operating speed of the wipers 14, 20 to the maximum speed operation (Max), and failure of the wiper device 10 after the collision is permissible because vehicle repair such as replacement of parts will be performed.

[0060] As described above, in the second embodiment, when the collision prediction ECU 56 predicts that the host vehicle will collide with a person, the control unit 70 switches the moving speed of the wipers 14, 20 to the maximum speed (Max) which is even faster than the highest speed operation (Hi) among the plurality of speeds. As a result, the amount of time taken for the wiper blades 18, 24 of the wipers 14, 20 to reach the stop position (lower reverse position P2) can be shortened more than in the case where the operating speed of the wipers 14, 20 is switched to the high speed operation (Hi) when a collision between the host vehicle and a person is predicted.

[0061] Third embodiment

[0062] Next, a third embodiment of the present disclosure is described. The same parts as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

[0063] like Figure 5 As shown, according to the third embodiment, a pop-up hood (PUH) device 62 is installed on a vehicle. Figure 7 As shown, the PUH device 62 includes a first actuator 62A capable of lifting upward a position near the front end portion of a hood 64 of the vehicle, and a second actuator 62B capable of lifting upward a position near the rear end portion of the hood 64 of the vehicle. The PUH device 62 is connected to the system bus 54 of the vehicle-mounted system, and operates according to an operation signal received from the wiper control ECU 38 or the like via the system bus 54. The PUH device 62 may have a configuration in which the first actuator 62A is omitted and only the position near the rear end portion of the hood 64 of the vehicle may be lifted upward by the second actuator 62B.

[0064] When the collision prediction ECU 56 predicts that the host vehicle will collide with a person, the control unit 70 according to the third embodiment causes the PUH device 62 to operate.

[0065] In other words, Figure 6 As shown, in the wiper control process according to the third embodiment, after the drive of the wiper motor 26 is switched in step 108 or step 110, the process proceeds to step 116. In step 116, the control unit 70 operates the PUH device 62 by sending an operation signal to the PUH device 62. As a result, Figure 7 As shown, the area covered by the rear end of the wipers 14, 20 is expanded. The degree to which a person who has collided with the vehicle and has been thrown onto the windshield 12 is injured by direct contact with the wipers 14, 20 can be reduced.

[0066] In the third embodiment, a scheme having a configuration in which the second actuator 62B of the PUH device 62 can raise the position near the rear end portion of the hood 64 of the vehicle has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, a configuration in which the second actuator 62B of the PUH device 62 raises the position near the rear end portion of the hood 64 of the vehicle upward and rearward may be adopted. As a result, the area covered by the rear end portion of the wipers 14, 20 by the hood 64 can be expanded more, and thus the degree to which a person who has collided with the vehicle and has been thrown onto the windshield 12 is injured due to direct contact with the wipers 14, 20 can be reduced more.

[0067] In the above-described embodiment, a scheme has been described in which a collision prediction signal is automatically transmitted from the collision prediction ECU 56 at the time of collision prediction and it is determined in step 102 of the wiper control process whether the collision prediction signal is received from the collision prediction ECU 56. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above. For example, instead of the determination in the above-described step 102, a process of inquiring the collision prediction ECU 56 as to whether the collision prediction ECU 56 predicts a collision and determining whether the collision is predicted based on the result of the inquiry may be performed.

[0068] In the embodiment, the present disclosure has described the scheme in which the lower reverse position P2 of the wipers 14, 20 is applied as the predetermined stop position, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In the wiper device having a configuration in which the wipers 14, 20 are reciprocated due to the rotating shaft of the reciprocating wiper motor 26, there is such a configuration as Figure 8 As shown as an example, the storage position P3 is set below the lower reverse position P2. The wiper device has a configuration that positions the wiper blades 18, 24 at the storage position P3 while the wiper device is stopped. When the present disclosure is applied to a wiper device having such a configuration, the storage position P3 of the wipers 14, 20 can be applied as a predetermined stop position in the present disclosure.

[0069] In the above embodiment, the wiper control program 50 according to the present disclosure is pre-stored (installed) in the storage unit 44, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the wiper control program 50 may also be provided in the form of being recorded on a non-transitory storage medium such as HDD, SSD, and DVD.

Claims

1. A wiper control device for a wiper device of a vehicle, the wiper device reciprocatingly moving a wiper between a lower reverse position and an upper reverse position by reciprocatingly rotating a rotation shaft of a wiper motor, the wiper control device characterized by comprising a processor configured to control the operation of the wiper, wherein The processor is configured to switch the operation of the wiper according to a moving direction of the wiper when the processor receives a notification of a prediction that the vehicle will collide with a person while the wiper is operating.

2. The wiper control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The processor is configured to immediately switch the moving direction of the wiper to an off direction when the processor receives the notification and the moving direction of the wiper is an on direction.

3. The wiper control device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The processor is configured to: switching the movement speed of the wiper to one of a plurality of speeds; and When the processor receives the notification, the moving speed of the wiper is switched to the fastest speed among the plurality of speeds.

4. The wiper control device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The processor is configured to: switching the movement speed of the wiper to one of a plurality of speeds; and When the processor receives the notification, the moving speed of the wiper is switched to a speed even faster than the fastest speed among the plurality of speeds.

5. The wiper control device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that: The processor is configured to operate a pop-up hood device that raises an end of a hood of the vehicle when the processor receives the notification.

6. A windshield wiper device for a vehicle, characterized in that include: Wipers; a wiper motor having a rotating shaft; as well as a processor configured to control the operation of the wiper, wherein The wiper motor is configured to reciprocately rotate the rotation shaft to reciprocate the wiper between a lower reverse position and an upper reverse position, and The processor is configured to switch the operation of the wiper according to a moving direction of the wiper when the processor receives a notification of a prediction that the vehicle will collide with a person while the wiper is operating.

7. The windshield wiper device according to claim 6, characterized in that The processor is configured to immediately switch the moving direction of the wiper to an off direction when the processor receives the notification and the moving direction of the wiper is an on direction.

8. The windshield wiper device according to claim 7, characterized in that The processor is configured to: switching the movement speed of the wiper to one of a plurality of speeds; and When the processor receives the notification, the moving speed of the wiper is switched to the fastest speed among the plurality of speeds.

9. The windshield wiper device according to claim 7, characterized in that The processor is configured to: switching the movement speed of the wiper to one of a plurality of speeds; and When the processor receives the notification, the moving speed of the wiper is switched to a speed even faster than the fastest speed among the plurality of speeds.

10. The windshield wiper device according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that The processor is configured to operate a pop-up hood device that raises an end of a hood of the vehicle when the processor receives the notification.

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