Sensor device and wiper controller

• US 20060076524A1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Junichi, Yoshigoe, Taketoshi, Morishita, Taiji
• Granted Patent: US 7,385,216 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/573
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0822 characterized by the arrangement or type of detection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0837 with a particular arrangement of the optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/552 Attenuated total reflection

Abstract

A sensor device for detecting wetting on a windshield includes a light emission element for emitting a light, a first light reception element for receiving the light in a first light path that includes reflective redirection by the windshield, and a second light reception element for receiving the light in a second light path that does not include reflective redirection by the windshield. The sensor device uses a ratio of the amount of the received light by the first light reception element and the amount of the received light by the second light reception element to determine wetting on the windshield.

Claims

1. A sensor device for detecting wetting on a windshield comprising:

a light emission element for emitting a light;

a first light reception element for receiving the light in a first light path that includes reflective redirection by the windshield; and

a second light reception element for receiving the light in a second light path that does not include redirection by the windshield,

wherein a ratio of the amount of the received light by the first light reception element and the amount of the received light by the second light reception element is used to determine the wetting on the windshield.

17. The sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein an operation signal for automatically operating a wiper system is generated based on the ratio of the received light by the first light reception element and the received light by the second light reception element.

2. A sensor device for detecting a wetting on a windshield comprising:

a light emission element; and

a first light reception element and a second light reception element for respectively receiving a light emitted by the light emission element,

wherein the first light reception element receives a light path that includes redirection by the windshield,

the second light reception element receives the light path that does not includes redirection by the windshield, and

a first ratio of the amount of the emitted light from the light emission element against the amount of the received light by the first light reception element is compared with a second ratio of the amount of the emitted light from the light emission element against the amount of the received light by the second light reception element for determining wetting on the windshield.

3. The sensor device according to claim 2,

wherein determination of wetting on the windshield is conducted at least once upon receiving a determination instruction.

4. The sensor device according to claim 2,

wherein a comparison result of the first ratio with the second ratio is stored in a memory.

5. The sensor device according to claim 2,

wherein a reflective surface is used to redirect the light from the light emission element to the second light reception element.

6. The sensor device according to claim 5 further comprising an optical device for injecting the light into the windshield from the inner surface of the windshield,

wherein the optical device includes the reflective surface.

7. The sensor device according to claim 6 further comprising a substrate that is disposed in a position substantially parallel to the windshield for including the light emission element, the first light reception element and the second light reception element,

wherein the reflective surface is positioned between the substrate and the windshield.

8. A sensor device for detecting a wetting on a windshield comprising:

a light emitter; and

a reflective device for reflectively redirecting a light emitted from the light emitter;

a light receptor for receiving the light from the light emitter,

wherein the reflective device redirects at least one light path from the light emitter via the windshield to the light receptor,

the light receptor collects the light in at least two light paths from the light emitter via the windshield, and

the amount of the light detected by the light receptor determines wetting on the windshield.

9. The sensor device according to claim 8,

wherein the light receptor uses at least two light reception elements for receiving the light in at least two light paths from the light emitter via the windshield.

10. The sensor device according to claim 9 further comprising an optical device for injecting the light into the windshield from an inner surface,

wherein the optical device includes the reflective device.

11. The sensor device according to claim 9,

wherein the light emitter and the at least two light reception elements are arranged on a substrate that is substantially parallel to the windshield, and

the reflective device is arranged between the substrate and the windshield.

12. The sensor device according to claim 11,

wherein the reflective device, the light emitter, and the at least two light reception elements are arranged on the substrate in an order of above description along a line that is substantially parallel to a side of the sensor device.

13. The sensor device according to claim 8,

wherein the reflective device includes at least two reflective areas for respectively redirecting the light from the light emitter via the windshield to at least two light reception elements of the light receptor.

14. The sensor device according to claim 13 further comprising an optical device for injecting the light into the windshield from an inner surface,

wherein the optical device includes the at least two reflective areas.

15. The sensor device according to claim 13,

wherein the light emitter and the light receptor are arranged on a substrate that is substantially parallel to the windshield, and

the at least two reflective areas are arranged between the plane and the windshield.

16. The sensor device according to claim 15,

wherein one of the at least two reflective areas, the light emitter, the light receptor, and one of the at least two reflective areas are arranged along a straight line on the substrate in order.

18. A wiper controller for automatically controlling a wiper system comprising:

a driving mechanism for actuating the wiper system; and

a sensor device for detecting wetting on a windshield,

wherein the sensor device includes a light emission element for emitting a light, a first light reception element for receiving the light in a first light path that includes reflective redirection by the windshield, and a second light reception element for receiving the light in a second light path that does not include reflective redirection by the windshield, the sensor device determines a ratio of the amount of the received light by the first light reception element and the amount of the received light by the second light reception element.