Windshield deicer power conservation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10080257-B2
Application number	US-201514823162-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2015
Priority date	Aug 11, 2015
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

Vehicle apparatus includes a glass windshield and a wiper system. A wiper blade has a parking region on the windshield. A deicer selectably provides heat to the parking region. A windshield temperature sensor detects a temperature of the windshield at the parking region. A head-up display is mounted proximate the windshield to display a temperature indicator responsive to the detected temperature. An automatic control circuit is configured to automatically deactivate the deicer when detecting a deiced condition in response to the detected temperature. A manual control element is configured to manually activate and deactivate the deicer. Thus, excessive heating can be avoided based on feedback of the windshield temperature. In addition, the driver is reminded that the deicer is active in a way that simultaneously provides information enabling the driver to independently evaluate the vehicle conditions and to make informed decisions about when to intervene in the automatic operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Vehicle apparatus comprising:
a glass windshield;
a wiper system including a wiper blade having a parking region on the windshield;
a deicer selectably providing heat to the parking region;
a windshield temperature sensor detecting a temperature of the windshield at the parking region;
a head-up display proximate the windshield displaying a temperature indicator showing a magnitude of the detected windshield temperature;
an automatic control circuit configured to automatically deactivate the deicer; and
a manual control element configured to manually activate and deactivate the deicer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the automatic control circuit deactivates the deicer in response to detecting a deiced condition based on the detected windshield temperature.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the automatic control circuit deactivates the deicer after a predetermined on-time.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the windshield temperature sensor is comprised of an infrared sensor mounted remotely from the windshield and having a field of view coincident with the parking region.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the deicer is comprised of a resistive heating layer incorporated with the glass windshield.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the head-up display is comprised of a light projector that projects the temperature indicator onto the windshield.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the head-up display is comprised of a plurality of colored LED elements arranged at a periphery of the windshield.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the temperature indicator has a color determined in response to the detected windshield temperature.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is configured to automatically deactivate the deicer after a predetermined on-time, and wherein the head-up display includes a time indicator responsive to a remaining time until expiration of the predetermined on-time.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the control circuit is responsive to an activation of the manual control element to extend the predetermined on-time.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the time indicator includes a pulsing display having a pulse rate that varies in proportion to the time remaining.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the deicer operates at a plurality of heating intensities, and wherein the head-up display includes an intensity indicator.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an electric vehicle drive and a battery providing electrical energy for the electric vehicle drive and the deicer;
wherein the head-up display includes a battery charge indicator.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the automatic control circuit deactivates the deicer in response to detecting a deiced condition based on the detected windshield temperature, an outside ambient temperature, an inside ambient temperature, and a sunload.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the automatic control circuit deactivates the deicer in response to detecting a deiced condition based on the detected windshield temperature and an electrical response of the wiper system.

16. A method for a vehicle windshield deicer, comprising:
remotely sensing a windshield temperature;
activating the deicer in response to an iced condition;
projecting a sensed-temperature magnitude proximate the windshield;
automatically deactivating the deicer in response to at least one of a time period or detection of a deiced condition using the sensed temperature; and
extending the time period in response to a manual activation; and
deactivating the deicer in response to a manual deactivation.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Salter Stuart C
• Surman James J

Classifications

• H05B2203/031

  Heaters specially adapted for heating the windscreen wiper area · CPC title

• H05B3/84

  Heating arrangements specially adapted for transparent or reflecting areas, e.g. for demisting or de-icing windows, mirrors or vehicle windshields · CPC title

• B60K35/00

  Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles · CPC title

• B60S1/048

  with a heating device for the wiper parking position · CPC title

• H05B1/0236 Primary

  for vehicles · CPC title