A wiper control device that properly detects restriction of a wiper blade according to a travel distance of the wiper blade. When a state in which a rotation speed of an output shaft calculated from a rotation angle of the output shaft detected by a rotation angle sensor is equal to or slower than a speed threshold defined according to a travel distance of the wiper blade and in which a current detected by a current detector is equal to or larger than a current threshold continues for a predetermined determination period, a microcomputer stops a wiper motor or reverses a direction of a wiping action of the wiper blade.

A wiper blade wipes a wiping surface. The wiper blade includes a blade rubber that is disposed in contact with the wiping surface, a wiper case that holds the blade rubber, and a state changing member that is accommodated in the wiper case and rotatable in the wiper case. The state changing member is rotatable in the wiper case or movable in a longitudinal direction. The state changing member is configured to change a curved form or rigidity in the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade in accordance with a curved form of the wiping surface when a rotational position or a longitudinal position of the state changing member is changed.

This disclosure details vehicle windshield wiper systems and methods 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.

A washer control device includes a computer configured to: monitor a motor current value that is a value of electric current supplied to a washer motor; acquire an energization time for which the electric current is supplied to the washer motor; and calculate a usage amount of a washer fluid from the motor current value and the energization time, and calculate, as a margin of the washer fluid, a remaining amount of the washer fluid in a washer tank based on the usage amount.

A method of controlling a heating element in thermal communication with a rear window of a vehicle comprises: with a vehicle being in an external environment and comprising a rear window and a heating element in thermal communication with the rear window, a controller in communication with the heating element, the controller including a Pre-established Predictive Activation Model setting forth rules governing activation of the heating element as a function of data relating to Certain Identifiable Conditions, and a user interface configured to allow the heating element to be manually activated or deactivated; collecting data relating to the Certain Identifiable Conditions; determining, by comparing the collected data to the rules of the Pre-established Predictive Activation Model, whether the collected data satisfies the rules of the Pre-established Predictive Activation Model so as to initially automatically activate the heating element; and automatically activating the heating element.

A wiper device that includes: a first control section that, during intermittent operation, controls power supply to a drive source such that a wiper blade wipes to-and-fro between a first return position and a second return position on a windshield and stops moving for a predetermined duration at the first return position, and that performs position retention control that controls power supply to the drive source such that the stopped wiper blade is retained at a position at which the wiper blade is stopped; and a second control section that suspends the position retention control by the first control section in a case in which a current flowing in the drive source is detected to have increased by a predetermined value or greater while the wiper blade moves toward the first return position within a predetermined region in a vicinity of the first return position.

A vehicle and/or a method for detecting contaminants on an optical surface are provided. The vehicle includes at least one light source adjacent the optical surface and at least one light detector at an edge of the optical surface. A controller is configured to introduce light from at least one light source into the optical surface, and to measure light at the edge of the optical surface with at least one detector. The controller compares the measured light to a threshold, and, if the measured light crosses the threshold, triggers or implements a response action.

An apparatus for displaying a vehicle state using a wiper includes: a wiper arm located on a glass of a vehicle, a driving motor which is located in a pivot unit coupled to one end of the wiper arm, and rotates the wiper arm, a light source unit located in the pivot unit so as to face the wiper arm, reflection units which are located in the wiper arm and reflect light radiated by the light source unit, and a controller to control a rotational speed of the wiper arm and control light emitted by the light source unit to be radiated to selected reflection units among the reflection units in response to a rotational position of the wiper arm so as to provide a user requested form.

A vehicle control apparatus includes one or more electronic control units configured to execute autonomous traveling control of a vehicle based on detection results of a plurality of sensors, a cleaner configured to clean dirt off of at least one of the plurality of sensors. The one or more electronic control units are configured to determine, when cleaning of dirt of a first sensor is executed, whether or not execution of the autonomous traveling control can be continued based on a detection result of one or more remaining sensors among the plurality of sensors, control the vehicle such that a required detection range is narrowed in case it is determined that the execution of the autonomous traveling control cannot be continued, and control the cleaner such that the cleaner cleans dirt off of the first sensor while continuing the execution of the autonomous traveling control.

A precipitation index estimation apparatus includes an operation mode data collection unit and an estimation processing unit. The data collection unit is configured to collect operation mode data indicating an operation mode of a windshield wiper, acquired in one or more vehicles positioned in a predetermined area within a predetermined period. The estimation processing unit is configured to estimate a precipitation index indicating an intensity of precipitation in the predetermined area within the predetermined period, based on a proportion of each of a plurality of kinds of operation modes, which is derived from the collected operation mode data.