Wiper Controller Adjusts Operation for Vehicle Boarding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated vehicles face challenges in controlling windshield wipers to prevent water splashes when occupants board or alight, leading to potential water droplets hitting people nearby.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle control system that includes a recognizer to assess the environment, a driving controller for speed and steering, and a wiper controller that adjusts wiper operation based on the boarding position and approach, reducing wiper sensitivity when people are present to minimize splashes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the wiper operates actively to maintain clear visibility, then visibility is improved, but water drops may splash onto people boarding or alighting from the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The wiper controller dynamically adjusts the wiper's degree of operation based on real-time detection of boarding/alighting situations. When the recognizer detects a person approaching the vehicle at a boarding position, the controller automatically reduces wiper operation intensity or stops the wiper temporarily, then restores normal operation after the person boards. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by making the wiper system flexible rather than fixed, allowing it to prioritize safety during critical moments while maintaining visibility during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback loop where the recognizer continuously monitors the surrounding environment for persons at boarding positions, and the wiper controller receives this information to adjust wiper operation accordingly. The feedback mechanism enables the system to respond to changing conditions in real-time, reducing wiper activity when people are present and restoring it when safe, thereby preventing water splashes while maintaining overall visibility effectiveness.
2Ease of operation
If the vehicle stops to allow occupants to board in an unmanned parking area, then boarding convenience is improved, but the wiper may splash water onto the occupant during approach
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of the boarding situation before the vehicle completes its approach to the stopping area. The recognizer identifies when the vehicle is approaching a boarding position with an occupant present, and the wiper controller proactively adjusts the wiper operation to a reduced degree or stops it temporarily before the vehicle fully stops and before the occupant would be exposed to water splashes. This preliminary action prevents the harmful effect before it can occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The wiper controller applies preliminary anti-action by reducing or stopping wiper operation in advance when it detects that the vehicle is approaching a boarding position with an occupant present. This counter-action occurs before the vehicle completes its maneuver and before any water splash could reach the occupant, thereby preventing the harmful effect while still allowing the vehicle to complete its boarding assistance function.
3Illumination intensity
If the wiper operates at full capacity to clear raindrops, then visibility is maintained, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wiper controller changes the operational parameters of the wiper based on detected conditions. When the recognizer detects a boarding situation, the controller adjusts the wiper's degree of operation parameter, reducing its activity level or stopping it temporarily. This parameter change allows the system to maintain visibility effectiveness when needed while reducing energy consumption during boarding operations, creating a conditional energy-saving mode that adapts to situational requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle control system includes: a recognizer that recognizes a surrounding environment of a vehicle; a driving controller that performs speed control and steering control of the vehicle regardless of an operation of an occupant on the basis of a recognition result obtained by the recognizer; and a wiper controller that controls a wiper attached to a window of the vehicle, wherein the wiper controller changes a degree of operation of the wiper according to a boarding position and a degree of approach when the vehicle moves to the boarding position at which an occupant boards the vehicle after the vehicle starts traveling under the control of the driving controller or when the vehicle starts traveling to move away from the boarding position under the control of the driving controller after the occupant alights from the vehicle.