Sensor system and method for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9475464-B2
Application number	US-50027309-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2009
Priority date	Jul 9, 2009
Publication date	Oct 25, 2016
Grant date	Oct 25, 2016

Abstract

A system and method is provided for determining if a windshield wiper of a vehicle should be automatically activated. The system and method may include a sensor system that receives at least one distance signal indicative of a distance between an object and a front windshield of the vehicle. The sensor system may further receive a relative velocity of the object using the at least one distance signal, the relative velocity being indicative of a velocity between the object and the front windshield of the vehicle. The sensor system may determine whether a windshield wiper should be automatically activated in response to the distance signal being within a distance activation range and the relative velocity being within a velocity activation range or the relative velocity exceeding a maximum velocity threshold.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method for determining that a windshield wiper of a vehicle should be automatically activated for removing an aqueous material from a front windshield, the method comprising:
receiving at least one distance signal indicative of a distance between the aqueous material and the front windshield of the vehicle;
determining a relative velocity of the aqueous material using the at least one distance signal, the relative velocity being indicative of a velocity between the aqueous material and the front windshield of the vehicle; and
automatically activating a front windshield wiper prior to the aqueous material contacting the windshield in response to the distance signal being within a distance activation range and the relative velocity being within a velocity activation range.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
automatically deactivating the front windshield wiper after a predetermined wiper sequence is complete.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining that a windshield wiper should be automatically activated in response to the relative velocity exceeding a maximum velocity threshold.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:
automatically activating the front windshield wiper in response to the relative velocity exceeding the maximum velocity threshold; and
automatically deactivating the front windshield wiper after a predetermined wiper sequence is complete.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising:
determining if the front windshield wiper is activated; and
determining if the front windshield wiper is erroneously causing the relative velocity to exceed the maximum velocity threshold.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one distance signal is generated using a closing velocity sensor.

7. A method for determining that a windshield wiper of a vehicle should be automatically activated for removing an aqueous material from a front windshield, the method comprising:
receiving at least one distance signal indicative of a distance between the aqueous material and the front windshield of the vehicle;
receiving at least one velocity signal indicative of a relative velocity between the aqueous material and the front windshield of the vehicle;
automatically activating a front windshield wiper prior to the aqueous material contacting the windshield in response to the velocity signal exceeding a maximum velocity threshold.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:
automatically deactivating the front windshield wiper after a predetermined wiper sequence is complete.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:
determining if the front windshield wiper is activated; and
determining if the front windshield wiper is erroneously causing the velocity signal to exceed the maximum velocity threshold.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising:
determining that a windshield wiper should be automatically activated in response to the distance signal being within a distance activation range and the velocity signal being within a velocity activation range.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
automatically activating the front windshield wiper in response to the distance signal being within the distance activation range and the velocity signal being within a velocity activation range; and
automatically deactivating the front windshield wiper after a predetermined wiper sequence is complete.

12. A system for determining that a windshield wiper of a vehicle should be automatically activated to remove an aqueous material from a front windshield, the system comprising:
at least one sensor configured to receive at least one distance signal indicative of a distance between the aqueous material and the front windshield of the vehicle; and
a controller in electrical communication with the at least one sensor, the controller configured to:
determine a relative velocity of the aqueous material using the at least one distance signal, the relative velocity being indicative of a velocity between the aqueous material and the front windshield of the vehicle; and
automatically activate a front windshield wiper prior to the aqueous material contacting the windshield in response to the distance signal being within a distance activation range and the relative velocity being within a velocity activation range.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
automatically deactivate the front windshield wiper after a predetermined wiper sequence is complete.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine that a windshield wiper should be automatically activated in response to the relative velocity exceeding a maximum velocity threshold.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
automatically activate the front windshield wiper in response to the relative velocity exceeding the maximum velocity threshold; and
automatically deactivate the front windshield wiper after a predetermined wiper sequence is complete.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine if the front windshield wiper is activated; and
determine if the front windshield wiper is erroneously causing the relative velocity to exceed the maximum velocity threshold.

17. The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one sensor is a closing velocity sensor, and the at least one closing velocity sensor being configured to generate a distance and relative velocity of the aqueous material.

Assignees

• Yopp Wilford Trent
• Joh Peter Gyumyeong
• Luo Wangdong
• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Yopp Wilford Trent
• Joh Peter Gyumyeong
• Luo Wangdong

Classifications

• B60S1/0818

  including control systems responsive to external conditions, e.g. by detection of moisture, dirt or the like · CPC title

• B60S1/0862 Primary

  including additional sensors (vehicle speed sensors B60S1/0896) · CPC title