A method for acquiring road data onboard a vehicle, the road data associated with a segment of road is provided. The method obtains, via vehicle onboard sensors, sensor data associated with current weather conditions, current road conditions, and a physical road state; determines whether the current weather conditions indicate existence of severe weather, whether the current road conditions indicate potential slip, and whether the physical road state indicates one or more road anomalies; generates a road data result, based on existence of severe weather, potential slip, and one or more road anomalies; and transmits the road data result, via a vehicle onboard telematics unit.

Provided is a heater control device including a camera sensor configured to capture an image of an outside of a vehicle through an image capturing transparent region of a window glass, a camera heater configured to heat the image capturing transparent region, and a glass heater configured to heat a specific region being a stop position region of a wiper blade. The heater control device executes heating control of energizing the glass heater to heat the specific region during a period from an operation start time of an operation switch to an operation end time of the operation switch at the earliest. The heater control device executes deicing control of energizing the camera heater in order to deice the image capturing transparent region when a deicing execution condition, which is satisfied during a period from the operation start time to the operation end time at the earliest, is satisfied.

A windshield wiper system includes a wiper arm, a wiper blade attached to the wiper arm, an output shaft attached to an end of the wiper arm, an actuator attached to the output shaft, a controller, a first sensor, a second sensor, and a third sensor. The controller is configured to activate the actuator, causing the output shaft to rotate and thus driving the wiper arm with the attached wiper blade in a sweeping motion across a windshield. The controller is also configured to receive signals from the first, second, and third sensors indicating the position of the wiper arm and the wiper blade.

A wiper device including: a power supplying circuit including plural switching elements, the power supplying circuit supplying, to a wiper motor, voltage that has been converted in accordance with switching control of the plural switching elements; a temperature detecting section detecting a temperature relating to a temperature of at least one of the switching elements among the plural switching elements; a current detecting section detecting current flowing to any of the switching elements among the plural switching elements; and a control section that, in a case in which the current detected by the current detecting section exceeds a limit current at the temperature detected by the temperature detecting section, carries out switching control of the switching elements such that the voltage supplied to the wiper motor decreases.

A wiper device including: a power supplying circuit including plural switching elements, the power supplying circuit supplying, to a wiper motor, voltage that has been converted in accordance with switching control of the plural switching elements; a temperature detecting section detecting a temperature relating to a temperature of at least one of the switching elements among the plural switching elements; a current detecting section detecting current flowing to any of the switching elements among the plural switching elements; and a control section that, in a case in which the current detected by the current detecting section exceeds a limit current at the temperature detected by the temperature detecting section, carries out switching control of the switching elements such that the voltage supplied to the wiper motor decreases.

Provided is a heater control device including a camera sensor configured to capture an image of an outside of a vehicle through an image capturing transparent region of a window glass, a camera heater configured to heat the image capturing transparent region, and a glass heater configured to heat a specific region being a stop position region of a wiper blade. The heater control device executes heating control of energizing the glass heater to heat the specific region during a period from an operation start time of an operation switch to an operation end time of the operation switch at the earliest. The heater control device executes deicing control of energizing the camera heater in order to deice the image capturing transparent region when a deicing execution condition, which is satisfied during a period from the operation start time to the operation end time at the earliest, is satisfied.

A sensor farm assembly is provided that includes a plate, a bracket, and a universal serial bus. The plate is configured to be mounted to an interior side of a windshield of a vehicle. The bracket is connected to the plate. The universal serial bus receiving module configured to be connected to the bracket. The universal serial bus receiving module includes a processing module and a universal serial bus receiver. The processing module is configured to receive power from a power source, where the power source is separate from the sensor farm assembly. The universal serial bus receiver is configured to receive a universal serial bus connector of a universal serial bus cable or an accessory device and provide power from the processing module either directly to the accessory device or via the universal serial bus cable.

The present invention relates to a windshield monitoring system, comprising; a windshield (104) for a vehicle (100); a plurality of light emitters (108) forming an array, each emitter (108) arranged to direct a beam of light into an edge of the windshield (104) at an angle of incidence arranged to subject the beam of light to total internal reflection at a windshield to air interface to propagate the beam of light across the windshield to an opposing edge thereof, and the angle of incidence being arranged to refract the light beam away from the windshield at a windshield to contaminant interface; the system comprising a light detector arranged to detect that light from the beam of light has been refracted away from the windshield; and wherein the emitters (108) are separated substantially across a length of the windshield (104).

The present invention relates to a windshield monitoring system. The windshield monitoring system comprises; a windshield (114) and an emitter (122) arranged to emit a sound pulse to induce a surface acoustic wave (SAW) to a surface of the windshield (114). The windshield monitoring system also comprises a sensor (124) arranged to receive the surface acoustic wave from the windshield (114) and a detection module (130) arranged to detect the presence of surface contamination (120) by attenuation in intensity of the received wave compared to an expected wave.

A method for recognizing directional structures on a window pane of a vehicle is described. The method includes carrying out an assessment of image points of an image of the window pane, which image points are disposed along an evaluation path, a course of the evaluation path being dependent on an expected orientation of the directional structures on the window pane. The method further includes recognizing a directional structure based on the assessment.