Windshield Wiper Control for High-Frequency Driver View Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle windshield wiping systems are inefficient in removing precipitation and dirt under adverse conditions, particularly impacting driver visibility and increasing accident risk.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle windshield wiping system with a control unit that activates a high efficiency wiping mode at 61+ wipes per minute, adjusts wiping area to a sub-area focused on the driver's view, and uses brushless DC motors for rapid cleaning, with adaptive control based on sensors and communication for optimal activation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the wiper arm moves back and forth over the entire windshield at high frequency, then cleaning speed increases, but energy consumption and mechanical stress increase
Solution Approach 1:
The windshield wiping area is divided into a first wiping area and a second wiping area (sub-area). The system segments the cleaning task into different zones, allowing the wiper to focus on the most critical driving visibility area (second wiping area) at high speed while reducing operations in less critical areas, thereby improving cleaning efficiency without excessive energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
Different wiping frequencies and patterns are applied to different regions of the windshield. The second wiping area (driver's view area) receives high-frequency wiping when precipitation is detected, while other areas use standard wiping patterns. This local differentiation optimizes energy usage by concentrating cleaning resources where they are most needed for safety.
2Reliability
If the wiper arm moves back and forth exclusively within a sub-area, then cleaning effectiveness in critical areas improves, but overall windshield coverage decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The wiping area is dynamically adjusted based on detected conditions. When precipitation is detected, the system activates high-frequency wiping in the second wiping area (sub-area) to ensure clear driver visibility. The control unit dynamically switches between different wiping patterns and areas based on real-time sensor input, optimizing both coverage and effectiveness according to current needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses sensors (rain sensors, precipitation detectors) to provide feedback about current windshield contamination levels. Based on this feedback, the control unit determines when to activate the high-efficiency wiping mode in the second wiping area, ensuring that cleaning effectiveness is maintained precisely when and where it is most needed, rather than using a fixed wiping pattern.
3Productivity
If the wiper motor operates at high frequency continuously, then cleaning performance improves, but motor temperature and wear increase
Solution Approach 1:
The high-frequency wiping operation is implemented as a periodic response to detected precipitation events rather than continuous operation. When the control unit detects precipitation through sensors, it activates the high-efficiency mode in the second wiping area. When no precipitation is detected, the system returns to standard wiping patterns or remains idle, allowing the motor to cool and reducing cumulative wear while maintaining high cleaning performance when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a wiping system for a vehicle and such a vehicle, wherein the wiping system comprises: at least one wiper arm having a connected wiper blade, a wiper motor and a control unit, wherein the wiping system is configured to be mounted in the area of a windshield of a vehicle, to cause, based on a movement of the wiper arm and the wiper blade connected thereto, cleaning of the windshield within a first predefined wiping area, and wherein the control unit is configured to determine an activation requirement to activate a high efficiency wiping mode of the wiping system and, in the event of such determined activation requirement, to adjust control of the wiper motor, such that the wiper arm moves back and forth over the windshield at a wiping frequency of at least wiping operations per minute and/or the wiper arm moves back and forth exclusively within a second wiping area of the windshield, which is a sub-area of the first wiping area.