Electricity: motive power systems – Periodic – repetitious or successive operations control of... – Variable periods or intervals between controlling operations
Patent
1997-01-16
1999-02-16
Ip, Paul
Electricity: motive power systems
Periodic, repetitious or successive operations control of...
Variable periods or intervals between controlling operations
318483, 318DIG2, B60S 100
Patent
active
058724370
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This application is a 371 of PCT/DE 96/00668 filed Apr. 17, 1996.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an arrangement for operating a windshield wiper in either a direct mode, wherein, in the event of a wetting event on the windshield, a wiping action is triggered directly, in an intermittent mode wherein, in the event of a corresponding wetting event, a sequence of wiping actions with a predeterminable interval time is triggered, or in a continuous mode, wherein wiping actions follow one another without a break, with the arrangement having a sensor device for detecting the degree of moisture on the windshield and for emitting a sensor signal, having an evaluation device receiving the sensor signal, which evaluation device is provided with a moisture-detecting stage, an interval time control and a control signal generating device, and having an actuation unit for the windshield wiper which can be actuated by the evaluation device to produce the wiping actions.
An arrangement of this type has been revealed as being known in DE 40 18 903 C2. In this known arrangement, the wiping operation is controlled on the basis of a sensor signal of a sensor device, which signal is evaluated by an evaluation device. An intermittent mode is provided wherein the intervals can be selected, on the one hand, as a function of wetting events including rain or another moisture coating on the windshield and as a function of preceding interval times and of the duration of triggered wiping actions. During this process, unfavorable, abrupt changes of the interval times may occur.
SUMMARY AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the invention to provide an arrangement of the type mentioned at the outset, wherein a smoothing of the interval times is accomplished in a simple manner.
This object generally is achieved by an arrangement for operating a windshield wiper in either a direct mode wherein a wiping action is triggered directly in the event of a wetting event on the windshield, in an intermittent mode wherein a sequence of wiping actions with a predeterminable interval time is triggered in the event of a corresponding wetting event, or in a continuous mode wherein wiping actions follow one another without a break, with the arrangement having a sensor device for detecting the degree of moisture on the windshield and for emitting a sensor signal, having an evaluation device receiving the sensor signal, which evaluation device is provided with a moisture-detecting stage, an interval time control and a control signal generating device, and having an actuation unit for the windshield wiper which can be actuated by the evaluation device to produce the wiping actions; and wherein the interval time control has a smoothing stage for the interval time (t.sub.I, t.sub.I+1) with which it can be determined during which time segment of predetermined time segments within a first interval time (t.sub.I) a wetting event occurs, starting from the beginning of the interval and with which the second interval time (t.sub.I+1) can be shortened all the more, the earlier the time segment appears during which the wetting event occurs.
Accordingly, it is provided that the interval time control has a smoothing stage for the interval time with which it can be determined during which time segment of predetermined time segments within the interval time a wetting event occurs, starting from the beginning of the interval, and with which the second interval time can be shortened all the more, the earlier the time segment appears during which the wetting event occurs.
In this manner, great, abrupt changes of the interval times during successive wiping actions, which might disturb a driver, can be prevented.
A simple measure for attaining a good smoothing of the interval times is that the interval time is divided into two time segments of identical size, and that the second interval time remains the same as the old one if the wetting event occurs during the second time segment and is reduced by a fixed portion of the old interval
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Blitzke Henry
Buerkle Joerg
Pientka Rainer
Ip Paul
Kunitz Norman N.
Robert & Bosch GmbH
Spencer George H.
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