A wiper device includes a wiper arm that includes a recess and that is swung due to rotation of a wiper motor, the wiper arm causes a wiper blade coupled to a leading end portion of the wiper arm to perform a wiping operation across a surface of a windshield glass, an acceleration sensor that is installed in the recess of the wiper arm, a drive circuit that generates a voltage to be applied to the wiper motor, and a control circuit that controls the drive circuit such that a voltage to reduce a change in acceleration of the wiper arm, detected by the acceleration sensor, is applied to the wiper motor.

A wiper control device that includes: a current detection section that detects a flow of current through a coil of a wiper motor; an environmental information acquisition section that acquires a vehicle speed or a vehicle external air temperature as environmental information; and a control section that controls a drive circuit such that a torque of an output shaft that is estimated from the current detected by the current detection section becomes equal to or less than a base limit torque that corresponds to a rotation angle detected by a rotation angle detection section, and such that a torque of the output shaft becomes equal to or less than a base limit torque that is corrected according to environmental information acquired by the environmental information acquisition section.

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 vehicular vision system includes a driver-side exterior mirror assembly, a passenger-side mirror assembly and an interior mirror assembly. The fields of view of the mirror reflective elements of the exterior mirror assemblies are adjustable by the driver via a respective actuator. The exterior mirror assemblies include respective cameras that each have a respective rearward field of view that supplements the field of view of the mirror reflective element when viewed by the driver of the vehicle. A video display is disposed behind the mirror reflector of an interior mirror reflective element such that displayed video images are viewable through the mirror reflector of the interior mirror reflective element. The video display includes a driver-side display portion and a passenger-side display portion that each display images derived from image data captured by the respective camera while not displaying images derived from image data captured by the other camera.

A vehicular wiper device is provided with a snowfall determination unit that determines whether a predetermined snowfall condition is satisfied. When the snowfall determination unit determines that a predetermined snowfall condition is satisfied, a controller that controls a wiper motor changes lower reverse positions of wiper blades to lower reverse positions during snowfall that are on the lower side with respect to lower reverse positions during normal times.

The present disclosure provides automatic cleaning system and method. The automatic cleaning system includes a control unit, a Micro Control Unit (MCU), a cleaning device and a sensor device. The control unit is configured to determine a cleaning type for cleaning a protective cover of a camera based on an image captured by the camera and the measured temperature and humidity on the outer surface of the protective cover. The control unit is also configured to generate a cleaning instruction based on the cleaning type. The control unit is also configured to send the instruction to the MCU. The MCU is configured to control the cleaning device to clean the protective cover of the camera in accordance with the cleaning instruction in response to receiving the instruction sent from the control unit.

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.

In certain example embodiments, moisture sensors, defoggers, etc., and/or related methods, are provided. More particularly, certain example embodiments relate to moisture sensors and/or defoggers that may be used in various applications such as, for example, refrigerator/freezer merchandisers, vehicle windows, building windows, etc. When condensation or moisture is detected, an appropriate action may be taken (e.g., actuating windshield wipers, turning on a defroster, triggering the heating of a merchandiser door or window, etc.). Bayesian approaches optionally may be implemented in certain example embodiments in an attempt to improve moisture detection accuracy. For instance, models of various types of disturbances may be developed and, based on live data and a priori information known about the model, a probability of the model being accurate is calculated. If a threshold value is met, the model may be considered a match and, optionally, a corresponding appropriate action may be taken.

Disclosed embodiments include airflow systems, vehicles, and controllers of airflow units. An illustrative airflow system of a vehicle includes an airflow inlet duct, an airflow intake duct, an air intake door, and an airflow unit. The airflow inlet duct is adapted to draw ambient air. The airflow intake duct is adapted to receive airflow from the airflow inlet duct. The air intake door is positioned therebetween. The airflow unit includes a controller configured to close the air intake door and seal off the air intake duct from the airflow inlet duct in response to receipt of at least one signal indicating at least one condition chosen from 1) a presence of water in the airflow inlet duct, 2) a hood of the vehicle being in an open condition, 3) a presence of rain received from a precipitation sensor, and 4) activation of a predetermined speed setting of a windshield wiper.

A vehicle computer includes a memory and a processor programmed to execute instructions stored in the memory. The instructions include comparing a captured image of a predetermined object to a target image of the predetermined object to quantify a first noise characteristic of the captured image, comparing the first noise characteristic to a first predetermined threshold, and detecting debris on an image sensor that outputs the captured image as a result of comparing the first noise characteristic to the first predetermined threshold.