Vehicle Wiper Control System for Automated Driving
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Solution Overview
Problem
During automated driving, especially at level 3 or higher, the risk of unintentional operation of the windshield wiper switch can lead to reduced front visibility due to erroneous switching, making it difficult to maintain automated driving and compromising driver safety.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle control system with a first controller for automated driving and a second controller for windshield wiper operation, which executes an auto-wiper process when the wiper switch is set to the wiper-off or intermittent position, ensuring continuous windshield wiper operation during rainfall and rejecting specific operations that would stop or intermittently operate the wiper.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the wiper switch is installed in the steering column for easy driver operation, then the ease of operation is improved, but the risk of unintentional operation increases during automated driving
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit acts as an intermediary between the wiper switch and the windshield wiper motor. It receives operation signals from the wiper switch and determines whether to execute them based on the automated driving state, thereby mediating between driver input and system response to prevent erroneous operations during automated driving
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes its response to wiper switch operations based on the automated driving state. When automated driving is detected, the control unit restricts certain operations (like switching to intermittent mode) while allowing others (like turning on continuous wiping). This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by making the system both easy to operate and reliable in different contexts
2Reliability
If the wiper switch operation is restricted during automated driving to prevent erroneous stops, then the reliability is improved, but the adaptability to driver intent deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit applies different levels of restriction to different wiper switch operations based on the automated driving state. For example, switching to intermittent mode may be restricted while switching to continuous on-mode may be permitted. This localized differentiation maintains reliability for critical operations while preserving adaptability for legitimate driver needs
3Use of energy by moving object
If the windshield wiper is stopped by erroneous operation during rainfall, then the energy consumption is reduced, but the forward visibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs preliminary detection of the automated driving state before executing wiper switch operations. By detecting the automated driving state in advance and preemptively restricting certain operations, the system prevents erroneous stops that would compromise visibility, while still allowing energy-efficient operation when appropriate
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the automated driving state and adjusts wiper operation permissions accordingly. This feedback mechanism ensures that the wiper system responds appropriately to changing conditions, maintaining visibility when needed while managing energy consumption when automated driving is active and visibility is less critical
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle includes a wiper switch that manually operates a wiping mode of a windshield wiper. The vehicle control system includes a first controller configured to execute an automated driving of the vehicle, and a second controller configured to control the wiping mode of the windshield wiper based on a request from the first controller or operation information of the wiper switch. The first controller transmits an auto-wiper request to the second controller during execution of the automated driving. Here, the auto-wiper request is a request for executing an auto-wiper process for automatically switching the wiping mode of the windshield wiper according to an external environment. The second controller executes the auto-wiper process when the auto-wiper request is received from the first controller in a state where the wiper switch is operated to the wiper-off position.