Method for controlling a windshield wiper, associated device and motor vehicle.

Abstract

Method for controlling a windshield wiper (150) of an ego vehicle (100) comprising a windshield (120), implemented in the ego vehicle (100) when it is traveling on a roadway (c1), in an environment (env1), the windshield wiper (150) comprising a blade (152), the ego vehicle (100) being a motor vehicle, the method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps: Determining that triggering conditions are verified, the triggering conditions being conditions on a situation of a heavy goods vehicle (200) in the environment (env1) of the ego vehicle (100), relative to the ego vehicle (100), Estimating that the roadway (c1) is wet, Upon determining that the triggering conditions are verified and estimating that the roadway (c1) is wet, controlling an actuator (151) of the blade (150) so that the wiper (152) sweeps the windshield (120). Figure for the abstract: figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: Method for controlling a windshield wiper, associated device and motor vehicle.

[0001] The invention relates to motor vehicles, there is today a need to continually improve the safety of motor vehicles.

[0002] For this purpose, the invention relates to a method for controlling a windscreen wiper (of a windshield) of an ego vehicle (in other words: of a first vehicle) comprising a windshield, implemented in the ego-vehicle when it is traveling on a roadway, in an environment, the windscreen wiper comprising a blade and an actuator of the blade, the ego vehicle being a motor vehicle, the method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps: • Determination that trigger conditions are verified, the trigger conditions being conditions on (in other words: “determined by”) a situation of a heavy goods vehicle (in other words: heavy goods vehicle or truck or bus) (on the roadway) in the environment of the ego vehicle, relative to the ego vehicle, (in other words: determination that trigger conditions are verified, from a situation of a heavy goods vehicle in the environment of the ego vehicle relative to the ego vehicle), • Estimation (in other words determination) that the road surface is wet (in other words: damp), • Then, upon determining that the trigger conditions are verified and estimating that the roadway is wet (in other words: Following the determination that the trigger conditions are verified and the estimation that the roadway is wet), controlling the wiper actuator (in other words: sending a command to the wiper actuator) to (control the wiper actuator so that) the wiper sweeps the windshield (for example with a sweeping speed less than half of a maximum possible sweeping speed for the wiper actuator).

[0003] Thus, thanks to the invention, if the heavy goods vehicle causes water to spray onto the windscreen, the water will be evacuated more quickly, since the windscreen wiper is already sweeping the windscreen, without having to wait for the water on the windscreen to be detected. The risk of the driver of the motor vehicle being surprised or seriously inconvenienced by the water spray is reduced.

[0004] For example, the method may comprise a step of controlling a stop of the actuator (unless, for example, water is detected on the windshield by a sensor of the motor vehicle), so that the wiper stops sweeping the windshield, for example: • When the trigger conditions are no longer met, and / or • After a predefined time, after the step of controlling the actuator so that the wiper sweeps the windshield, and / or • Until an interaction is detected by a human-machine interface (i.e., until the user stops scanning).

[0005] Windshield wiper actuators have been known for a long time. The actuator may comprise an electric motor, among other possible solutions.

[0006] According to one embodiment, the triggering conditions are verified provided (at least) that the heavy goods vehicle is located at a distance, less than a threshold, from the vehicle (for example, the threshold is between 15 meters and 45 meters, and is for example equal to 35 meters).

[0007] According to one embodiment, the triggering conditions are verified on condition (at least) that the vehicle is approaching (in other words: is in the process of approaching) the heavy goods vehicle.

[0008] According to one embodiment, the triggering conditions are verified on condition (at least) that the heavy goods vehicle is traveling, on the roadway, in the same direction of travel as the vehicle.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the triggering conditions are verified on condition (at least) that the heavy goods vehicle is traveling, on the roadway, in the same lane as the vehicle.

[0010] Alternatively, the triggering conditions are verified provided (at least) that the heavy goods vehicle is traveling in a lane adjacent to that where the vehicle is located (in other words: traveling).

[0011] For example, the trigger conditions are verified provided that the ego vehicle is overtaking (in other words: overtaking) the heavy goods vehicle and / or that a driving speed of the ego vehicle or the heavy goods vehicle exceeds a (predetermined) threshold.

[0012] Alternatively, whether the triggering conditions are verified or not is independent: • Of said distance, and / or • Because the vehicle is closer to the heavy goods vehicle, and / or • Due to the fact that heavy goods vehicles are traveling on the road in the same direction of travel culation that the ego vehicle carries (for example, the heavy goods vehicle and the ego vehicle may travel in opposite directions), and / or • The fact that the heavy goods vehicle is traveling on the roadway in the same lane as the other vehicle or on an adjacent lane and / or • The fact that the vehicle is overtaking (in other words: overtaking) the heavy goods vehicle, and / or • That the speed of the vehicle or heavy goods vehicle exceeds a (predetermined) threshold.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the step of determining that the triggering conditions are verified can be implemented from images (radar or video) received from an image sensor of the vehicle (for example, a camera, a radar or a laser remote sensor for example also called “LiDAR”).

[0014] Of course, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the step of determining that the triggering conditions are verified may include a step of detecting the heavy goods vehicle from the images, and that such a step may be implemented without difficulty by those skilled in the art.

[0015] Also, for the person skilled in the art, it is obviously possible to determine, from the images, for example using an artificial neural network (or another type of artificial intelligence model): • The said distance (in particular, for example, from radar images), and / or • That the vehicle ego is closer to the heavy goods vehicle, and / or • That the heavy goods vehicle is traveling on the road in the same direction as the vehicle, and / or • That the heavy goods vehicle is traveling in the same lane as the vehicle or on an adjacent lane.

[0016] Alternatively or in combination, the step of determining that the triggering conditions are verified can be implemented from data received from the heavy goods vehicle by the ego vehicle, via radio communication, for example of the so-called “V2V” type.

[0017] This data may include, for example: • Information indicating that it is a heavy goods vehicle, or • A geographical location (and its evolution) of the heavy goods vehicle, or • Alternatively, images.

[0018] The heavy goods vehicle can also determine by itself that the triggering conditions are verified and transmit this information by radio communication, for example of the so-called “V2V” type, to the vehicle. The step of determining that the condition is verified is then limited to receiving the information from the heavy goods vehicle.

[0019] For example, the heavy goods vehicle can detect by the method published in the article below that the ego vehicle is overtaking the heavy goods vehicle and send this information by radio communication, for example of the so-called "V2V" type, to the ego vehicle: • “Overtaking Vehicle Detection Techniques based on Optical Flow and Convolutional Neural Network", Lu-Ting Wu and Huei-Yung Lin, Conference: 4th International Conference on Vehicle Technology and Intelligent Transport Systems, January 2018.

[0020] The estimation (in other words determination) that the roadway is wet, can be implemented, for example: • From data received from a vehicle road condition detector, such as the mobile detector “MD30” offered by the company called “Vaisala” (or from a vehicle road condition detector using any optical or acoustic method known to those skilled in the art, such as those described in the article by Jôzef Kotus and Grzegorz Szwoch below), and / or • From data received, by radio communication, for example of the so-called “V2I” type, from a road condition detector of the road infrastructure, such as those described in the following article: • “Detection of Water on Road Surface with Acoustic Vector Sensor”, Jôzef Kotus and Grzegorz Szwoch, Sensors 2023, 23(21), 8878. and / or • From weather data in the area where the ego vehicle is located, determining for example that it has rained recently, received via a mobile telephone network, and / or • Based on data received from preceding motor vehicles, the vehicle ego on the roadway, by radio communication, for example of the so-called “V2V” type, indicating, for example, that rain has been detected on the windshield or near the windshield of these motor vehicles.

[0021] The invention also relates to a computer program comprising instructions executable by a microprocessor or a microcontroller or a computer, to implement the steps of the method according to the invention, when it is executed by the microprocessor or the microcontroller or the computer.

[0022] The method according to the invention can be implemented by an electronic device (or a motor vehicle or in other words, a vehicle or the ego vehicle). The invention therefore also relates to an electronic device (or a motor vehicle or in other words, a vehicle or the ego vehicle) configured to implement the steps of the method according to the invention, as well as a motor vehicle (or in other words, a vehicle or the ego vehicle) comprising the electronic device.

[0023] The characteristics and advantages of the computer program, the electronic device, and the vehicle are identical to those of the method according to the invention (without it being necessary to repeat them here).

[0024] When the electronic device, the motor vehicle, (or another element) is "configured to" (or "capable of") performing or implementing a step or operation, this implies, for example, that the element comprises means for performing the step or operation. The means preferably comprise electronic means, for example a computer program, data in memory, specialized electronic circuits, wired or wireless connections, a microprocessor and / or a microcontroller.

[0025] Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly on reading the detailed description which follows, comprising embodiments of the invention given as non-limiting examples and illustrated by the appended drawings, in which: • [Fig.l] represents an electronic device and a motor vehicle, according to an embodiment of the invention, in top view, • [Fig.2] represents an implementation of the method according to the invention, according to a exemplary embodiment, by the electronic device and the motor vehicle of [Fig.l].

[0026] In [Fig.l], certain elements are, of course, seen through transparency.

[0027] Detailed description of an exemplary embodiment of the invention, with reference to figures 1 and 2.

[0028] [Fig.l] represents a vehicle 100 which is a motor vehicle. The vehicle 100 comprises a windshield 120 and a microprocessor 110 connected, by a data bus, to the following components of the vehicle 100: • A 130 camera and a 140 radar, • An actuator 151 of a windshield wiper 150, • A 160 detector.

[0029] With reference to [Fig.2], in step S00, while the vehicle 100 is traveling in the lane vl, on the roadway cl, the microprocessor 110 determines from images received from the camera 130 and the radar 140: • That the heavy goods vehicle 200 is located at a distance distl equal to 8 meters less than a threshold of 15 meters, and • That heavy goods vehicle 200 is traveling, on road cl, in the same direction of travel as vehicle 100, in lane v2 adjacent to lane vl, and • That vehicle 100 is traveling at 115 kilometers per hour (from, for example, an odometer of vehicle 100) while heavy goods vehicle 200 is traveling at 90 kilometers per hour, and that vehicle 100 is thus approaching heavy goods vehicle 200.

[0030] In step S10, the microprocessor 110 estimates that the road surface cl is wet, based on data received from the detector 160. The detector 160 is for example a mobile detector “MD30” offered by the company called “Vaisala”.

[0031] In step S20, as a result of steps S00 and S10, although it has not detected that the windshield 120 is wet, the microprocessor 110 controls the actuator 151 of the wiper blade 152 (in other words: sends a command to the actuator 151) so that the wiper blade 152 of the windshield wiper 150 sweeps the windshield 120, with a frequency of 1 Hertz (for a maximum frequency of 3 Hertz achievable by the actuator 151).

[0032] In step S30, the microprocessor 110 determines, from images received from the camera 130 and the radar 140, that the vehicle 100 is overtaking the heavy goods vehicle 200 and is therefore moving away from it. Consequently, the microprocessor 110 commands a stop of the actuator 151 so that the wiper 152 stops sweeping the windshield 120.

Claims

Claims

1. Method for controlling a windshield wiper (150) of an ego vehicle (100) comprising a windshield (120), implemented in the ego vehicle (100) when it is traveling on a roadway (cl), in an environment (envi), the windshield wiper (150) comprising a blade (152) and an actuator (151) of the blade (152), the ego vehicle (100) being a motor vehicle, the method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps: • Determination (S00) that triggering conditions are verified, the triggering conditions being conditions on a situation of a heavy goods vehicle (200) in the environment (envi) of the ego vehicle (100), relative to the ego vehicle (100), • Estimation (S 10) that the roadway (cl) is wet, • On determination (S00) that the triggering conditions are checked and estimate (S 10) that the road surface (cl) is wet,control (S20) of the actuator (151) of the wiper (152) so that the wiper (152) sweeps the windshield (120).,

2. Control method according to the preceding claim in which the triggering conditions are verified provided that the heavy goods vehicle (200) is located at a distance (distl) less than a threshold from the vehicle (100).

3. Control method according to any one of the preceding claims in which the triggering conditions are verified provided that the ego vehicle (100) approaches the heavy goods vehicle (200).

4. Control method according to any one of the preceding claims in which the triggering conditions are verified provided that the heavy goods vehicle (200) is traveling, on the roadway (cl), in the same direction of travel (si) as the vehicle (100).

5. Control method according to any one of the preceding claims in which the triggering conditions are verified provided that the heavy goods vehicle (200) is traveling, on the roadway (cl), in the same lane as the other vehicle (100).

6. Control method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the triggering conditions are verified provided that the heavy goods vehicle (200) is traveling in a lane (v2) adjacent to that where the ego vehicle (100) is located.

7. Control method according to any one of the preceding claims in which the step of determining (S00) that the triggering conditions are verified can be implemented from images received from an image sensor (130, 140) of the ego vehicle (100).

8. Computer program comprising instructions, executable by a microprocessor or a microcontroller, for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, when executed by the microprocessor or the microcontroller.

9. Electronic device (110) configured to implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. Motor vehicle (100) comprising the electronic device (110) according to the preceding claim.

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