Rain sensor

• US 20060163458A1
• Filed: 05/19/2003
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elmos Semiconductor SE
• Original Assignee: Elmos Semiconductor AG
• Inventors: Reime, Gerd
• Granted Patent: US 7,259,367 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/227.250
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0822 characterized by the arrangement or type of detection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0833 Optical rain sensor
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0844 including a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle

Abstract

A device for detecting the wetting and/or soiling of a windscreen surface, in particular in a vehicle, comprises a camera with a sensor having a plurality of light-sensitive pixels arranged as an array and adapted to be illuminated according to an illumination cycle, and having a focussing optic for a camera focus set to almost infinite. The device is further provided with a light source for illuminating a detection portion of the screen surface detectable by the camera. The light source may be switched on and off according to a predeterminable ON/OFF cycle. The ON/OFF cycle is synchronized to the illumination cycle of the camera sensor, and the wetting/soiling of the screen surface may be detected by comparing the image information from the sensor of the camera when the light source is turned on and when the light source is turned off.

Claims

1. Device for detecting the wetting and/or soiling of a windscreen surface, in particular in a vehicle, comprising

a camera with a sensor having a plurality of light-sensitive pixels arranged as an array and adapted to be illuminated according to an illumination cycle, and having a focusing optic for a camera focus set to almost infinite, and

a light source for illuminating a detection portion of the screen surface detectable by the camera,

wherein

the light source may be switched on and off according to a predeterminable ON/OFF cycle,

the ON/OFF cycle is synchronized to the illumination cycle of the camera sensor, and

the wetting/soiling of the screen surface may be detected by comparing the image information from the sensor of the camera when the light source is turned on and when the light source is turned off.

2. Device of claim 1, wherein one pixel, one pixel line or all pixels of the camera sensor may be illuminated per illumination cycle and wherein the ON/OFF cycle is synchronized with the pixel-, line- or image-scanning frequency of the camera sensor.

3. Device of claim 1, wherein the light source emits electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength range no visible to the human eye.

4. Device of claim 1, wherein the light source is sinusoidally controllable.

5. Device of claim 1, wherein a wetting of the screen surface is detectable by filtering out and evaluating the ON/OFF cycle frequency with which the light source may be driven, using a synchronous demodulator and/or a filter arrangement.

6. Device of claim 1, wherein an image luminosity signal may be obtained from the output signal of the camera sensor by filtering the ON/OFF cycle frequency from this image luminosity signal.

7. Device of claim 1, wherein the ON/OFF cycle is phase-shifted by 180°

from one line to the next.

8. Device of claim 1, wherein, for obtaining a signal indicating wetting from the signal of the camera sensor, the signals of the pixels of two successive lines of the sensor are subtracted.

9. Device of claim 8, wherein the wetting signal is subjected to filtering and/or synchronous demodulation.

10. Device of claim 1, wherein, for obtaining an image signal with superimposed wetting information, the signals of two successive lines of the sensor are added.

11. Device of claim 1, wherein, for obtaining an image signal without wetting information, the light source may be switched synchronously to the switching clock between two successive lines of the camera sensor.

12. Device of claim 1, wherein, within a period of the output signal of the camera sensor, an averaging without activation of the light source is effected, wherein, for another period of the output signal of the camera sensor, an averaging with activation of the light source is effected, and wherein both average values are compared to obtain a wetting signal or a wetting value.

13. Device of claim 12, characterized by a mutual comparison between the average value for the periods without light source activation and the average value for the periods with light source activation by means of filtering the differential value and/or synchronous demodulation for the purpose of detecting the wetting.

14. Device of claim 1, wherein the light from the light source may be coupled directly into the screen and, given a wetting, a reflection towards the camera occurs on the side opposite the coupling.

15. Device of claim 20, wherein the coupling of the light is effected laterally into the screen or with a prism into the surface of the screen.

16. Device of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation of the light source impinges with total reflection on that surface of the screen on which a wetting is to be detected.

17. Device of claim 1, wherein the light source is a first light source the device further comprising a second light source whose light impinges under total reflection on the inside of the screen to detect wetting thereon.

18. Device of claim 17, wherein both light sources may be driven separately for a separate detection of wetting on the outside of the screen and fogging on the inside of the screen.

19. Device of claim 17, wherein both light sources may be driven simultaneously using different clock frequencies.

20. Device of claim 17, characterized by the subtraction of a value of the inner reflection (second light source) from the value of the inner and outer reflection (first light source) in order to obtain a value for the external wetting.

21. Device of claim 17, wherein the light of the first light source impinges under total reflection on the inner side of the screen for the detection of interior fogging and the light from the second light source impinges under total reflection on the outer side of the screen for the detection of an external wetting.

22. Device of claim 1, wherein the focusing optics of the camera may be adjusted between almost infinite and the screen surface.

23. Device of claim 1, characterized by a detector for the detection of contrast steps in the signal from the sensor for detecting the wetting/soiling on the screen surface.