OPTICAL DEVICE

• US 20180229690A1
• Filed: 02/13/2018
• Published: 08/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: ADACHI, Takahiro, KAWASAKI, Toshifumi, MORII, Yasutomo, MORI, Takeki, CHIDA, Kazumi
• Granted Patent: US 10,640,090 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/023 including defroster or demisting means
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0848 Cleaning devices for cameras on vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/54 using gas, e.g. hot air
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/56 specially adapted for cleaning other parts or devices than front windows or windscreens rear-view mirror arrangements mounted on vehicle exterior including cleaning devices B60R1/0602

Abstract

An optical device includes an optical unit that is disposed with a closed space interposed between the optical unit and a windshield glass and is configured to acquire information of an outside of a vehicle cabin through the windshield glass, a heating unit that heats the closed space, an opening and closing unit that is disposed in an air flow path between the closed space and a vehicle cabin internal space and controls communication of air between the closed space and the vehicle cabin internal space, and a controller that controls an open and closed state of the opening and closing unit based on either an outside air temperature of a vehicle or a difference in humidity acquired by subtracting a humidity of the vehicle cabin internal space from a humidity of the closed space.

Claims

1. An optical device comprising:

an optical unit being to be disposed with a closed space interposed between the optical unit and a windshield glass and being configured to acquire information of an outside of a vehicle cabin through the windshield glass;

a heating unit configured to heat the closed space;

an opening and closing unit that is disposed in an air flow path between the closed space and a vehicle cabin internal space and is configured to control communication of air between the closed space and the vehicle cabin internal space; and

a controller configured to control an open and closed state of the opening and closing unit based on either an outside air temperature of a vehicle or a difference in humidity acquired by subtracting a humidity of the vehicle cabin internal space from a humidity of the closed space,

wherein the controller is configured to set the opening and closing unit to an open state when the outside air temperature is higher than or equal to a predetermined temperature or when the difference in humidity is greater than or equal to a predetermined difference in humidity, and set the opening and closing unit to a closed state when the outside air temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature or when the difference in humidity is less than the predetermined difference in humidity.

2. The optical device according to claim 1, further comprising a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the information of the outside of the vehicle cabin is acquired in the optical unit,

wherein the controller is configured to control the open and closed state of the opening and closing unit when the determination unit determines that the information of the outside of the vehicle cabin is not acquired.

3. The optical device according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to stop controlling the open and closed state of the opening and closing unit when the determination made by the determination unit that the information of the outside of the vehicle cabin is not acquired is not changed after elapse of a predetermined time period.

4. The optical device according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to stop the heating unit from heating the closed space when the determination made by the determination unit that the information of the outside of the vehicle cabin is not acquired is not changed after elapse of a predetermined time period.