Automated vehicle windshield wiper systems for minimizing the buildup of frozen precipitation
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsStuart C. Salter, David Brian Glickman, Paul Kenneth Dellock, Aaron Halonen, Daniel J. Martin
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Abstract
Vehicle windshield wiper systems and methods are disclosed for controlling windshield wipers in a manner that reduces the buildup of frozen precipitation on the vehicle windshield. In exemplary embodiments, a windshield wiper can be automatically commanded to wipe a windshield at a pre-calculated wiping interval rate when precipitation is detected on a vehicle surface, a vehicle ambient temperature is below a predefined ambient temperature threshold, and a vehicle interior temperature exceeds a predefined interior temperature threshold.
Claims19
A method, comprising:
- during a parked condition of a vehicle equipped with a windshield wiper system, automatically controlling a windshield wiper of the windshield wiper system at a pre-calculated wiping interval rate that is based at least on an interior passenger cabin temperature of the vehicle.
A method, comprising:
- during a parked condition of a vehicle equipped with a windshield wiper system, automatically controlling a windshield wiper of the windshield wiper system at a pre-calculated wiping interval rate that is based at least on an interior passenger cabin temperature of the vehicle,
- wherein the pre-calculated wiping interval rate is correlated to the interior passenger cabin temperature of the vehicle within a look-up table that is stored in a memory of a control module of the windshield wiper system.
A method, comprising:
- monitoring a temperature of a vehicle interior passenger cabin;
- and
- controlling a wiping interval rate of a vehicle windshield wiper based at least in part on the temperature of the vehicle interior passenger cabin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.