Windshield Wiper Control Using Door and Seat Occupancy Signals
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The flexibility of windshield wipers in automatic mode is low, leading to rainwater splashing on the windshield when the user is outside the vehicle, affecting user experience.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that determine the state of the driver-side door and occupancy status of seats to control windshield wiper operation, disabling or enabling the wiper based on door and seat occupancy, and wiper mode, using sensors and cameras to manage wiper requests.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the rain sensor is turned on in automatic mode when the vehicle is powered on, then the windshield wiper can automatically respond to rainfall, but the windshield wiper may splash rainwater onto the user when the user is outside the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of door state and seat occupancy before enabling the rain sensor and windshield wiper operation. By checking these conditions in advance, the system prevents unnecessary wiper activation that would splash rainwater on users standing outside the vehicle, while still allowing automatic wiper operation when the vehicle is properly occupied.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors door state and seat occupancy status as feedback signals to dynamically control the rain sensor and windshield wiper operation. This feedback mechanism allows the system to adaptively enable or disable wiper function based on real-time occupancy detection, resolving the contradiction between automatic responsiveness and preventing harmful splashing.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the windshield wiper operates in automatic mode without occupancy detection, then the wiper responds to rainfall, but the system lacks flexibility to determine whether activation is necessary
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reuses existing vehicle sensors (door state sensors and seat occupancy sensors) that serve multiple functions in the vehicle system for the additional purpose of controlling windshield wiper operation. This approach adds adaptability to the wiper system without significantly increasing overall device complexity, as the sensing infrastructure already exists for other vehicle functions.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~8
AI summary
Disclosed are a windshield wiper control method and apparatus, a device and a medium. A current state of a driver-side door of a vehicle is acquired; if the current state of the driver-side door of the vehicle is an open state and a current operating mode of a windshield wiper is a manual mode, an instruction to disable reception of a windshield wiper start request is transmitted to a windshield wiper driver. The current operating mode of the windshield wiper is an automatic mode, an instruction to inhibit generation of the windshield wiper start request is transmitted to a rain sensor. When the current state of the driver-side door of the vehicle is a closed state, the occupancy status of the driver-side seat or the occupancy status of the passenger-side seat is occupied and the current operating mode of the windshield wiper is the manual mode, an instruction to enable the reception of the windshield wiper start request is transmitted to the windshield wiper driver. If the occupancy status of the driver-side seat or the occupancy status of the passenger-side seat is occupied, and the current operating mode of the windshield wiper is the automatic mode, an instruction to permit the generation of the windshield wiper start request is transmitted to the rain sensor. A windshield wiper control apparatus, a device and a medium are also disclosed. Based on the method provided by the present application, the flexibility of the windshield wiper driver driving the windshield wiper to operate can be improved.