# US 10,308,225 B2 · Accelerometer-based vehicle wiper blade monitoring > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,308,225 B2 - Document ID: US10308225B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/683,529 - Filed: 2017-08-22 - Published: 2019-02-28 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2017-08-22 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Joshua Wheeler; Scott Amman; Doug B. Thornburg; Brian Bennie; Mahmoud Ghannam - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10308225B2 ## CPC - B60S 1/0822: {characterized by the arrangement or type of detection means} - B60S 1/08: 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)} - B60S 1/0859: {Other types of detection of rain, e.g. by measuring friction or rain drop impact} - B60S 2001/3844: {equipped with means to indicate wear or usage of blade} - B60S: SERVICING, CLEANING, REPAIRING, SUPPORTING, LIFTING, OR MANOEUVRING OF VEHICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract Method and apparatus are disclosed for accelerometer-based windshield wiper monitoring. A vehicle includes an accelerometer affixed to a vehicle window, a windshield wiper to actuate across the vehicle window, and a processor. The processor is configured to determine an acoustic profile corresponding to the windshield wiper based on structure-borne audio data received from the accelerometer, determine whether a bandlimited decibel level of the acoustic profile exceeds a threshold, and responsively provide an alert via a vehicle display. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle comprising: an accelerometer affixed to a vehicle window; a windshield wiper to actuate across the vehicle window; and a processor configured to: determine an acoustic profile corresponding to the windshield wiper based on structure-borne audio data received from the accelerometer; determine whether a bandlimited decibel level of the acoustic profile exceeds a threshold; and responsively provide an alert via a vehicle display. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the accelerometer is configured to measure vibrations perpendicular to a glass surface of the vehicle window. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the accelerometer is affixed to a top-center portion of a front windshield of the vehicle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: compare the determined acoustic profile to a plurality of stored acoustic profiles, wherein each stored acoustic profile has a corresponding threshold; determine a closest matching stored acoustic profile; and select the threshold corresponding to the closest matching stored acoustic profile. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The vehicle of claim 4, wherein a first profile of the plurality of stored acoustic profiles corresponds to an aged wiper blade, and wherein a second profile of the plurality of stored acoustic profiles corresponds to a broken wiper blade arm. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The vehicle of claim 4, wherein each stored acoustic profile comprises a corresponding alert type, and wherein the processor is further configured to provide the alert based on the closest matching acoustic profile. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the bandlimited decibel level comprises a decibel level of the acoustic profile between 1 to 10 kHz. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: receive input indicating a characteristic of the windshield wiper; and modify the threshold based on the received input. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the accelerometer comprises a first sensor, and wherein the processor is further configured to: receive data from a second sensor; and provide the alert via the vehicle display based on data from the first sensor and data from the second sensor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the alert to a vehicle service center. ### Claim 11 A method comprising: receiving, by a processor, structure-borne audio data captured by an accelerometer affixed to a vehicle window, wherein the audio data corresponds to noise generated when a windshield wiper is actuated across the vehicle window; determining an acoustic profile corresponding to the structure-borne audio data; determining whether a bandlimited decibel level of the acoustic profile exceeds a threshold; and responsively providing an alert via a vehicle display. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the accelerometer is configured to measure vibrations perpendicular to a glass surface of the vehicle window. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the vehicle window is a front windshield, and wherein the accelerometer is affixed to a top-center portion of the front windshield. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: comparing the determined acoustic profile to a plurality of stored acoustic profiles, wherein each stored acoustic profile has a corresponding threshold; determining a closest matching stored acoustic profile; and selecting the threshold corresponding to the closest matching stored acoustic profile. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein a first profile of the plurality of stored acoustic profiles corresponds to an aged wiper blade, and wherein a second profile of the plurality of stored acoustic profiles corresponds to a broken wiper blade arm. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein each stored acoustic profile comprises a corresponding alert type, the method further comprising providing the alert based on the closest matching acoustic profile. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the bandlimited decibel level comprises a decibel level of the acoustic profile between 1 to 10 kHz. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: receiving input indicating a characteristic of the windshield wiper; and modifying the threshold based on the received input. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the accelerometer comprises a first sensor, the method further comprising: receiving data from a second sensor; and providing the alert via the vehicle display based on data from the first sensor and data from the second sensor. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: transmitting the alert to a vehicle service center.