A windshield-wiper system includes a precipitation-detector, a windshield-wiper actuator, an object-detector, and a controller. The precipitation-detector detects precipitation proximate to a host-vehicle. The windshield-wiper actuator clears the precipitation from a windshield of the host-vehicle. The object-detector detects a distance of an object to the host-vehicle. The controller is in communication with the precipitation-detector, the windshield-wiper actuator, and the object-detector. The controller determines when the precipitation is present based on the precipitation-detector, determines the distance from the object to the host-vehicle based on the object-detector, and adjusts a speed of the windshield-wiper actuator when the precipitation is detected and the object is less than a distance-threshold away from the host-vehicle.

A windshield-wiper system includes a precipitation-detector, a windshield-wiper actuator, an object-detector, and a controller. The precipitation-detector detects precipitation proximate to a host-vehicle. The windshield-wiper actuator clears the precipitation from a windshield of the host-vehicle. The object-detector detects a distance of an object to the host-vehicle. The controller is in communication with the precipitation-detector, the windshield-wiper actuator, and the object-detector. The controller determines when the precipitation is present based on the precipitation-detector, determines the distance from the object to the host-vehicle based on the object-detector, and adjusts a speed of the windshield-wiper actuator when the precipitation is detected and the object is less than a distance-threshold away from the host-vehicle.

Provided are a wiper intelligence control method and device. The a wiper intelligence control method includes following steps: an operation state of a wiper is switched to an automatic wiper operation state or a manual wiper operation state according to a received wiper operation state switch signal; when the wiper operates in the automatic wiper operation state, if a wiper movement speed adjustment signal output from a manual operation module is received, a current wiper movement speed is adjusted; when the wiper is switched from the automatic wiper operation state to the manual wiper operation state, the current wiper movement speed of the wiper is locked as the wiper movement speed in the manual wiper operation state; when the wiper operates in the manual wiper operation state, if the wiper movement speed adjustment signal output from the manual operation module is received, the current wiper movement speed is adjusted.

A system and method for sensing precipitation conditions near a vehicle. The precipitation radar system is mounted on the vehicle and includes a transmitter, a receiver, and an electronic control unit. The method transmits radar signals from the transmitter; receives reflected radar signals at the receiver; determines response information from the reflected radar signals for a region of interest; and uses the response information to determine precipitation conditions for the region of interest. The region of interest is defined, at least in part, by a range and the response information includes phase data, amplitude data, or both phase and amplitude data based on the reflected radar signals. The method and system may then use the precipitation conditions to control other responsive vehicle actions, such as activating a windshield heater, a windshield defroster, a windshield wiper or a combination thereof.

An aircraft windshield wiper control system includes an aircraft weather radar system mounted in an aircraft and that detects precipitation in a travel path of an aircraft and an integrated avionics module that receives aircraft weather information from the aircraft weather radar system. The system also includes an aircraft wiper blade motor, a wiper blade motor driver and a wiper control module that receives aircraft weather information from the integrated avionics module and generates a wiper control signal, based on the received information that controls operation of the wiper blade motor drive to cause motion of the aircraft wiper blade motor.

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 on a predetermined road link within a predetermined period. The estimation processing unit is configured to estimate a precipitation index indicating an intensity of precipitation on the predetermined road link 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.

A precipitation index estimation apparatus includes a data collection unit and an estimation processing unit. The data collection unit is configured to collect rainfall amount data detected by a rainfall amount sensor in one or more vehicles positioned on a predetermined road link within a predetermined period. The estimation processing unit is configured to estimate a precipitation index indicating an intensity of precipitation on the predetermined road link within the predetermined period, based on the collected rainfall amount data.

An example vehicle for monitoring windshield vibrations for vehicle collision detection includes a windshield, a vibration sensor coupled to the windshield to detect window vibrations of the windshield, a first accelerometer to detect vehicle body vibrations of a vehicle body, and a restraint control module. The restraint control module is to detect an event based upon the window vibrations and determine whether the event is a collision event or a non-collision event responsive to comparing the window vibrations and the vehicle body vibrations.

An automatic rain response system includes microphones of a vehicle, windshield wipers, and a controller. The microphones generate acoustic signals in response to rain. The controller is configured to receive a local weather condition, extract acoustic features from the acoustic signals, form feature vectors in response to the acoustic features and the local weather condition, classify the feature vectors to determine a current class among multiple classes, activate the windshield the wipers at a high speed in response to the current class being a heavy rain on a windshield class, activate the windshield wipers at a medium speed in response to the current class being a freezing rain on the windshield class, activate the windshield wipers at a low speed in response to the current class being a light rain on the windshield class, and deactivate the windshield wipers in response to the current class being a no rain class.

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.