The question (sometimes a difficult question to answer) always is: Did they find a work around that gives similar results without using the patented method?

If they did, it would be a fair and honest way to achieve results without infringing.

The windshield wiper takes rain off a car's front window. If I use air to blow the rain off I achieve the same result without using the windshield wiper patent.

You can't patent "removing rain from a windshield". You can patent a specific method of taking rain off the windshield.