Wiper drive circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11345314-B2
Application number	US-201916278248-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2019
Priority date	Feb 21, 2018
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

When a power failure does not occur, power supply to a first terminal of a wiper motor is performed by a first battery, and power supply to a second terminal of the wiper motor is performed by a second battery. When a power failure occurs in one of the first battery or the second battery, power supply to the wiper motor is performed by the other battery that is not in power failure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wiper drive circuit configured to control driving of a wiper motor having a first terminal, a second terminal, and a ground terminal based on power supply from a single battery provided in a vehicle, comprising:
a first control switch controlling connection and disconnection of a first energizing wiring connected to the single battery and the first terminal;
a second control switch controlling connection and disconnection of a second energizing wiring connected to the single battery and the second terminal;
an electronic control unit configured to turn on the first control switch and turn off the second control switch to connect the single battery to the first terminal when a wiper switch is operated in a first mode to drive the wiper motor at a first speed, and configured to turn on the second control switch and turn off the first control switch to connect the single battery to the second terminal when the wiper switch is operated in a second mode to drive the wiper motor at a second speed higher than the first speed; and
an off switch formed of a metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) and including a gate connected to the electronic control unit, a drain connected to one of a wiring through which an electric power is supplied from the first control switch to the first terminal or a wiring through which the electric power is supplied from the second control switch to the second terminal, and a source connected to a ground potential point, wherein
the electronic control unit is configured to
monitor a potential of the single battery,
turn on the first control switch to energize from the single battery to the first terminal in response to determining that a power failure has not occurred based on the monitored potential while the wiper switch is operated in the first mode, and
turn on the second control switch to energize from the single battery to the second terminal in response to determining that the power failure has not occurred while the wiper switch is operated in the second mode,

when the wiper switch is switched from the first mode or the second mode to an off mode to stop the wiper motor, the electronic control unit stops energization from the single battery to the wiper motor and turns on the off switch,
the first energizing wiring is provided with a fuse between the single battery and the first control switch,
the second energizing wiring is connected to a portion of the first energizing wiring between the fuse and the first control switch, and
the electronic control unit is connected to the portion of the first energizing wiring between the fuse and the first control switch to monitor the potential of the single battery.

2. The wiper drive circuit according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first input wiring connected to the first energizing wiring between the single battery and the first control switch; and
a second input wiring connected to the second energizing wiring between the single battery and the second control switch, wherein
at least one of the first input wiring or the second input wiring is connected with the electronic control unit and is provided with a diode to restrict a sneak current from the electronic control unit to the single battery.

3. The wiper drive circuit according to claim 1 , wherein
the first control switch is a first relay that includes a first switch connected between the single battery and the first terminal, and a first relay coil controlling on and off of the first switch, and
the second control switch is a second relay that includes a second switch connected between the single battery and the second terminal, and a second relay coil controlling on and off of the second switch.

4. A wiper drive circuit configured to control driving of a wiper motor having a first terminal, a second terminal, and a ground terminal based on power supply from a single battery provided in a vehicle, comprising:
a first control switch controlling connection and disconnection of a first energizing wiring that is a power supply line between the single battery and the first terminal;
a second control switch controlling connection and disconnection of a second energizing wiring that is a power supply line between the single battery and the second terminal;
an electronic control unit configured to turn on the first control switch and turn off the second control switch to energize from the single battery to the first terminal when a wiper switch is operated into a first mode to drive the wiper motor at a first speed, and configured to turn on the second control switch and turn off the first control switch to energize from the single battery to the second terminal when the wiper switch is operated into a second mode to drive the wiper motor at a second speed higher than the first speed;
a first input wiring connecting the electronic control unit and the first energizing wiring between the single battery and the first control switch;
a second input wiring connecting the electronic control unit and the second energizing wiring between the single battery and the second control switch; and
an off switch formed of a metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) and including a gate connected to the electronic control unit, a drain connected to one of the first energizing wiring between the first control switch and the first terminal or the second energizing wiring between the second control switch and the second terminal, and a source connected to a ground potential point, wherein
the electronic control unit is configured to receive a first potential of the single battery through the first input wiring and receive a second potential of the single battery through the second input wiring,
in response to determining that a first power failure has occurred on the first energizing wiring based on the received first potential while the wiper switch is operated in the first mode, the electronic control unit drives the wiper motor by energizing the second terminal with the second energizing wiring and the second control switch,
in response to determining that a second power failure has occurred on the second energizing wiring based on the received second potential while the wiper switch is operated in the second mode, the electronic control unit drives the wiper motor by energizing the first terminal with the first energizing wiring and the first control switch,
when the wiper switch is switched from the first mode or the second mode to an off mode to stop the wiper motor, the electronic control unit stops energization from the single battery to the wiper motor and turns on the off switch,
the first energizing wiring is provided with a first fuse between the single battery and the first control switch,
the second energizing wiring is connected to a portion of the first energizing wiring between the single battery and the first fuse,
the second energizing wiring is provided with a second fuse between a point connected with the first energizing wiring and the second control switch,
the first input wiring is connected to a portion of the first energizing wiring between the first fuse and the first control switch, and
the second input wiring is connected to a portion of the second energizing wiring between the second fuse and the second control switch.

5. The wiper drive circuit according to claim 4 , wherein
the first input wiring is provided with a diode to restrict a sneak current from the electronic control unit to the single battery, and
the second input wiring is provided with a diode to restrict a sneak current from the electronic control unit to the single battery.

Assignees

• Anden Co Ltd
• Denso Electronics Corp

Inventors

• Morita Manabu
• Sugimoto Shigekazu

Classifications

• B60S1/08 Primary

  electrically driven {(conjoint control of windscreen wiper motor and liquid supply of windscreen washer B60S1/482; conjoint control of windscreen wiper motor and means for cleaning parts o parts other than windscreens or front windows B60S1/56, B60S1/58, B60S1/606)} · CPC title

• H02J9/061

  for DC powered loads · CPC title

• H02P1/029

  Restarting, e.g. after power failure · CPC title

• H02J9/066

  characterised by the use of dynamo-electric machines (H02J9/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J9/068

  Electronic means for switching from one power supply to another power supply, e.g. to avoid parallel connection · CPC title