MODULAR SENSOR UNIT FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE

• US 20090134985A1
• Filed: 01/28/2009
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PREH GmbH (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: PREH GmbH (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Schelbert, Harald, Kuchler, Wolfgang, SCHMITT, Hans-Michael, Jeitner, Martin
• Application Number:
  US12/361,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20090134985A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/425.500
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0822 characterized by the arrangement or type of detection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0825 Capacitive rain sensor
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0833 Optical rain sensor
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/087 including an ambient light sensor control of vehicle lights B60Q
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0874 characterized by the position of the sensor on the windshield
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0881 characterized by the attachment means on the windshield

Abstract

Sensor unit (1) for a motor vehicle for detecting ambient conditions, comprising at least two sensor modules, wherein a first sensor module (2) has a rain (6) and/or condensation sensor (7), and a second sensor module (3) has at least a light (13, 14) and/or solar sensor (11, 12).

Claims

1. A sensor unit (1) for a motor vehicle for detecting ambient conditions, the sensor unit comprising at least two sensor modules, wherein a first sensor module (2) has a rain (6) and/or condensation sensor (7), and a second sensor module (3) has at least a light (13, 14) and/or a solar sensor (11, 12).

2. The sensor unit (1) according to claim 1 further comprising an electrical and/or electronic connection between the sensor modules (2, 3).

3. The sensor unit (1) according to claim 1 further comprising a joint electronic communication system, in particular an electronic bus system, for connecting the sensor unit (1) to a data bus of the motor vehicle in one of the sensor modules (2, 3).

4. The sensor unit (1) according to claim 1 wherein each sensor module (2, 3) has an electronic evaluation system for evaluating output signals of the sensors (6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14) arranged in the respective sensor module (2, 3).

5. The sensor unit (1) according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the sensor modules (2, 3) has a joint electronic evaluation system for evaluating output signals of all sensors (6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14).

6. The sensor unit (1) according to claim 1 wherein the second sensor module (3) is a molded interconnected device (MID) module.

7. A sensor unit (1) for a motor vehicle for detecting ambient conditions, the sensor unit comprising:

a first housing (4);

a second housing (8) positioned substantially adjacent to the first housing;

a first sensor module (2) supported by at least a portion of the first housing (4), the first sensor module (2) carrying one or more sensors for detecting ambient conditions; and

a second sensor module (3) supported by at least a portion of the second housing (8), the second sensor module (3) carrying one or more sensors for detecting ambient conditions;

wherein the first and second sensor modules (2, 3) are in communication with one another.

8. The sensor unit (1) according to claim 7 wherein the first sensor module (2) carries one or more sensors selected from a rain sensor (6), a condensation sensor (7), or a combination thereof.

9. The sensor unit (1) according to claim 7 wherein the second sensor module (3) carries one or more sensors selected from a light sensor (13, 14), a solar sensor (11, 12), or a combination thereof.

10. The sensor unit (1) according to claim 7 wherein the first and second sensor modules (2, 3) are in electrical communication.

11. The sensor unit (1) according to claim 7 further comprising a joint electronic communication system for connecting the sensor unit (1) to a data bus of the motor vehicle, the joint electronic communication system disposed in at least one of the sensor modules (2, 3).

12. The sensor unit (1) according to claim 7 wherein:

the one or more sensors carried by the first and second sensor modules (2, 3) are selected from a rain sensor (6), a condensation sensor (7), a solar sensor (11, 12), or a light sensor (13, 14), or a combination thereof; and

further comprising;

an electronic evaluation system for evaluating output signals produced by the one or more sensors (6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14), the electronic evaluation system incorporated into each one of the first and second sensor modules (2, 3).

13. The sensor unit (1) according to claim 7 wherein:

the one or more sensors carried by the first and second sensor modules (2, 3) are selected from a rain sensor (6), a condensation sensor (7), a solar sensor (11, 12), or a light sensor (13, 14), or a combination thereof; and

further comprising;

a joint electronic evaluation system for evaluating output signals produced by each one of the one or more sensors (6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14), the joint electronic evaluation system incorporated into at least one of the first or second sensor modules (2, 3).

14. The sensor unit (1) according to claim 7 wherein at least one of the housings (4, 8) of the first or second sensor modules (2, 3) is a molded interconnected device (MID) module.

15. The sensor unit (1) according to claim 7 further comprising:

a projection (15) formed at one side of the second sensor module (3); and

an opening (16) defined by one side of the first sensor module (2), the opening for receiving the projection (15) in corresponding engagement;

wherein corresponding engagement between the projection (15) and the opening (16) facilitates communication between the first and second sensor modules (2, 3).

16. The sensor unit (1) according to claim 15 further comprising:

contact surfaces carried by the projection (15);

contact surfaces defining at least a portion of the opening (16);

contacts carried by the sensors; and

leads connecting the contact surfaces of the projection (15) and opening (16) to the contacts of the sensors;

wherein corresponding engagement between the projection and opening provides communication between the first and second sensor modules (2, 3).

17. A sensor unit (1) for a motor vehicle for detecting ambient conditions, the sensor unit comprising:

a first sensor module (2) carrying at least one sensor for detecting ambient conditions;

a second sensor module (3) carrying at least one sensor for detecting ambient conditions, the first and second sensor modules (2, 3) positioned substantially adjacent to one another;

a first housing (4) forming at least a portion of the first sensor module (2), the first housing (4) defining an opening (16); and

a second housing (8) forming at least a portion of the second sensor module (3), the second housing defining a projection (15) for correspondingly engaging the opening (16) of the first housing (4) such that the first and second housings (4, 8) are connected;

wherein the first and second sensor modules (2, 3) are in electrical communication with one another.

18. The sensor unit (1) according to claim 17 wherein:

the at least one sensors of the first and second sensor modules (2, 3) are selected from a rain sensor (6), a condensation sensor (7), a solar sensor (11, 12), or a light sensor (13, 14), or a combination thereof; and

further comprising;

an electronic evaluation system for evaluating output signals produced by the one or more sensors (6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14), the electronic evaluation system incorporated into each one of the first and second sensor modules (2, 3).

19. The sensor unit (1) according to claim 17 wherein:

the at least one sensors of the first and second sensor modules (2, 3) are selected from a rain sensor (6), a condensation sensor (7), a solar sensor (11, 12), or a light sensor (13, 14), or a combination thereof; and

further comprising;

a joint electronic evaluation system for evaluating output signals produced by each one of the one or more sensors (6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14), the joint electronic evaluation system incorporated into at least one of the first or second sensor modules (2, 3).

20. The sensor unit (1) according to claim 17 wherein at least one of the housings (4, 8) of the first or second sensor modules (2, 3) is a molded interconnected device (MID) module.