Since a shape of a stator 44 is made mirror symmetric with respect to a rotor 45 as a 4-pole/6-slot type, rotational deflection of the rotor 45 can be suppressed. As the minimum number of poles and the minimum number of slots, which can suppress the rotational deflection of the rotor 45, a frequency of magnetic noises approaches a frequency of mechanical noises. Thus, it is possible to integrate the whole noises generated by the DR-side wiper motor 21 into a low frequency range thereof, and to make the acoustic sensitivity (dB) of a vehicle interior smaller. Since the stator 44 is fixed inside a housing 40 and mounting legs fixed to a vehicle body fixed portion are provided in the housing 40, the stator 40, which is a source of the magnetic noises, can be fixed to a vehicle via only the housing 40. Therefore, a brushless wiper motor with quietness improved further can be designed.

A system for automatically deploying a windshield wiper blade to a deployed position includes one or more processors, an actuator coupled to the windshield wiper blade and communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, one or more optical sensors communicatively coupled to the one or more processors that output an optical signal, and one or more memory modules communicatively coupled to the one or more processors. The one or more memory modules store logic that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to receive the optical signal output by the one or more optical sensors, detect whether an accumulation of a substance has formed on the vehicle based on the optical signal output by the one or more optical sensors, and deploy, with the actuator, the windshield wiper blade to the deployed position in response to detecting the accumulation of the substance.

A water-droplet detecting apparatus according to an embodiment includes a setting unit, a first extraction unit, a second extraction unit, and a determination unit. The setting unit sets concentric circles having a center at arbitrary one point of a captured image of an image capturing unit. The first extraction unit extracts candidate pixels based on gradients of pixels on a circumference of each of the concentric circles. The candidate pixels are candidates for pixels that are estimated to indicate a water droplet adhered to the image capturing unit. The second extraction unit extracts one or more candidate circles based on the candidate pixels extracted by the first extraction unit. The one or more candidate circles are candidates for circles that indicate a shape of the water droplet. The determination unit determines whether or not the water droplet is adhered based on an extraction result of the second extraction unit.

An object of the present invention is to provide a brushless motor and a wiper apparatus which allow high-precision control of a motor unit, and which can be reduced in size and weight. The first surface (91) of the control board (90) is provided on the same side as the rotating shaft (46) and the output shaft (51) so as to face the sensor magnet (MG1), the first and second Hall ICs (94a) and (94b) are mounted on the first surface (91). The second surface (92) of the control board (90) is provided on the opposite side from the first surface (91), and the third Hall IC (94c) is mounted on the second surface (92), and located between the first and second Hall ICs (94a) and (94b) so as to face the sensor magnet (MG1). In addition, the MR sensor (95) is mounted on the first surface (91) so as to face the second sensor magnet (MG2).

An object of the present invention is to provide a brushless motor and a wiper apparatus which allow high-precision control of a motor unit, and which can be reduced in size and weight. The first surface (91) of the control board (90) is provided on the same side as the rotating shaft (46) and the output shaft (51) so as to face the sensor magnet (MG1), the first and second Hall ICs (94a) and (94b) are mounted on the first surface (91). The second surface (92) of the control board (90) is provided on the opposite side from the first surface (91), and the third Hall IC (94c) is mounted on the second surface (92), and located between the first and second Hall ICs (94a) and (94b) so as to face the sensor magnet (MG1). In addition, the MR sensor (95) is mounted on the first surface (91) so as to face the second sensor magnet (MG2).

A brushless motor comprises: a stator 21 having armature coils 21a, 21b, and 21c; a rotor 22 which is rotated by a revolving magnetic field; and a switching element 30a, wherein the brushless motor has a rotation number control unit 33 which switches between low-speed and high-speed mode, wherein in the low-speed mode, the rotation number control unit 33 supplies current to the armature coils 21a, 21b, and 21c at predetermined energization timing and controls a duty ratio to control the rotation number of the rotor 22, and in the high-speed mode, the rotation number control unit 33 supplies current to the armature coils 21a, 21b, and 21c at energization timing advanced from the energization timing for the low-speed mode, thereby performing field weakening control of weakening the revolving magnetic field from that of the low-speed mode to control the rotation number of the rotor 22.

There is provided a vehicular visual recognition device including: an imaging section that images vehicle surroundings through a region that a wiper blade passes through; a display section that displays an imaging result of the imaging section; a detection section that detects a position of the wiper blade; and a controller that performs display control to display an image of vehicle surroundings captured by the imaging section and, at a timing at which the wiper blade passes through the imaging section, to hold an imaging result of prior to the wiper blade passing the imaging section for display on the display section.

Disclosed herein is a windshield cleaning system including a computer in electronic communication with a windshield wiper controller, an image device, a fluid applicator, and a fluid heater. The system captures and compares a pre-spray image with a post-spray image, the post spray image acquired after actuating the fluid applicator and before actuating the windshield wiper. The comparison is performed by the computer to determined potential conditions with the windshield cleaning system.

A wiper system for vehicles is provided. The system includes a heated wiper blade assembly, a heated cowl assembly and a controller. The controller receives input from one or more sensors or systems and causes a power source to provide, reduce or stop power to heating elements in the blade and/or cowl depending upon sensed conditions. At least some components in the assembly comprise thermally conductive polymers. The system provides surprisingly advantageous results in that it is effective for melting and clearing ice and snow with a lower than expected pull on a power source such as a battery.

In a sensor device for determining ambient conditions of a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, comprising at least one transmitter for emitting electromagnetic radiation, in particular infrared radiation, comprising at least three receivers for receiving electromagnetic radiation, in particular infrared radiation, wherein at least one transmitter is assigned to at least one receiver for determining precipitation on at least one glass surface, in particular the windscreen of the motor vehicle, and wherein at least three receivers are aligned for receiving electromagnetic radiation from different angular regions, it is provided as essential to the invention that the spatial receiving regions of at least one first and at least one second receiver are aligned substantially horizontally, that the spatial receiving region of at least one third receiver is aligned substantially upwards.