Method of controlling an air blowing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11964636-B2
Application number	US-202318215658-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2023
Priority date	Jan 16, 2020
Publication date	Apr 23, 2024
Grant date	Apr 23, 2024

Abstract

A method of controlling an air blowing apparatus includes: determining whether there is precipitation through a rain sensor by a controller; determining whether the air blowing apparatus is in an automatic mode in a precipitation condition by the controller; determining a vehicle speed when the air blowing apparatus is in the automatic mode in the precipitation condition; and setting power and a spray angle of the air blowing apparatus by comparing a rainfall received from the rain sensor to a stored rainfall by the controller. Setting the power and the spray angle of the air blowing apparatus includes compensating the spray angle and a spray amount by measuring a flow speed and a flow angle of rainwater through the rain sensor by the controller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling an air blowing apparatus, the method comprising:
determining whether there is precipitation through a rain sensor by a controller;
determining whether the air blowing apparatus is in an automatic mode in a precipitation condition by the controller;
determining a vehicle speed when the air blowing apparatus is in the automatic mode in the precipitation condition; and
setting power and a spray angle of the air blowing apparatus by comparing a measured rainfall received from the rain sensor to a stored rainfall by the controller,
wherein setting the power and the spray angle of the air blowing apparatus includes compensating the spray angle and a spray amount of the air blowing apparatus by measuring a flow speed and a flow angle of rainwater through the rain sensor by the controller.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in determining the vehicle speed, the method further comprises:
comparing a vehicle speed received from the controller with a first vehicle speed;
determining a stop condition of the vehicle when the vehicle speed is the first vehicle speed or less, and comparing the vehicle speed with a second vehicle speed when the vehicle speed exceeds the first vehicle speed;
determining a low-speed state of the vehicle when the vehicle speed is the second vehicle speed or less, and comparing the vehicle speed with a third vehicle speed when the vehicle speed exceeds the second vehicle speed; and
determining that the vehicle is in a medium-speed state when the vehicle speed is the third vehicle speed or less, and determining that the vehicle is in a high-speed state when the vehicle speed exceeds the third vehicle speed.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein, when the state of the vehicle is determined in determining the vehicle speed, the controller compares the measured rainfall received from the rain sensor to the stored rainfall, and wherein the method further comprises:
comparing the measured rainfall with a first rainfall stored in the controller;
determining a weak precipitation condition when the measured rainfall is the first rainfall or less, and comparing the measured rainfall with a second rainfall stored in the controller when the measured rainfall exceeds the first rainfall; and
determining a medium precipitation condition when the measured rainfall is the second rainfall or less, and determining a heavy rain condition when the measured rainfall exceeds the second rainfall.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
controlling the air blowing apparatus to have a first spray angle and a first discharge amount when the measured rainfall is the first rainfall or less in a stop condition of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
controlling the air blowing apparatus to have a first spray angle and a second discharge amount when the measured rainfall exceeds the first rainfall and is the second rainfall or less in a stop condition of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
controlling the air blowing apparatus to have a first spray angle and a third discharge amount when the measured rainfall exceeds the second rainfall in a stop condition of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
controlling the air blowing apparatus to have a third spray angle and a second discharge amount when the measured rainfall is the first rainfall or less in a low-speed condition of the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
controlling the air blowing apparatus to have a third spray angle and a third discharge amount when the measured rainfall exceeds the first rainfall and is the second rainfall or less in a low-speed condition of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
controlling the air blowing apparatus to have a first spray angle and a third discharge amount when the measured rainfall exceeds the second rainfall in a low-speed condition of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
controlling the air blowing apparatus to have a second spray angle and a first discharge amount when the measured rainfall is the first rainfall or less in a medium-speed condition of the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
controlling the air blowing apparatus to have a second spray angle and a second discharge amount when the measured rainfall exceeds the first rainfall and is the second rainfall or less in a medium-speed condition of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
controlling the air blowing apparatus to have a first spray angle and a third discharge amount when the measured rainfall exceeds the second rainfall in a medium-speed condition of the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
controlling the air blowing apparatus to have a first spray angle and a first discharge amount when the measured rainfall is the first rainfall or less in a high-speed condition of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
controlling the air blowing apparatus to have a first spray angle and a third discharge amount when the measured rainfall exceeds the first rainfall and is the second rainfall or less in a high-speed condition of the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
controlling the air blowing apparatus to have a first spray angle and a third discharge amount when the measured rainfall exceeds the second rainfall in a high-speed condition of the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein setting the power and the spray angle of the air blowing apparatus further comprises:
measuring the flow speed and the flow angle of rainwater on a windshield glass through the rain sensor; and
controlling the power of the air blowing apparatus in accordance with the measured flow speed and flow angle of the rainwater.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
measuring whether the flow speed of the rainwater measured by the rain sensor is a first reference value or more and measuring whether the flow angle is less than a second reference value by the controller;
determining whether a discharge amount of the air blowing apparatus is a maximum amount by the controller when the flow speed of the rainwater is the first reference value or more and the flow angle of the rainwater is less than the second reference value;
determining whether the flow angle of the rainwater exceeds the second reference value by the controller when the discharge amount of the air blowing apparatus is the maximum amount;
determining whether a spray angle of the rainwater is a minimum angle by the controller when the discharge amount of the air blowing apparatus is the maximum amount and the flow angle of the rainwater is the second reference value or less; and
providing notification to a user by the controller when the spray angle of the rainwater is the minimum angle.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
determining whether the flow speed of the rainwater measured by the rain sensor is less than a first reference value and whether the flow angle of the rainwater is a second reference value or more by the controller;
setting a discharge amount of the air blowing apparatus to a maximum by the controller when the flow speed of the rainwater is less than the first reference value and the flow angle of the rainwater is the second reference value or more;
determining whether the flow speed of the rainwater is less than the first reference value by the controller when the discharge amount of the air blowin

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Park Jong Min
• Han Seung Sik
• Lee Ki Hong
• Kong Nak Kyoung

Classifications

• B60S1/54 Primary

  using gas, e.g. hot air · CPC title

• B08B5/02

  Cleaning by the force of jets, e.g. blowing-out cavities {(airguns or nozzles per se B05B1/005)} · CPC title

• B60S1/548 Primary

  according to vehicle movement characteristics, e.g. speed, or climatic conditions, e.g. wind · CPC title

• G01W1/14

  Rainfall or precipitation gauges (measuring volume in general G01F) · CPC title