Insolation sensor

• US 5,455,415 A
• Filed: 08/24/1993
• Issued: 10/03/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamada, Manabu, Maeda, Yutaka, Nakamura, Masaya, Shirai, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Sikes, William L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dudek, James A.
• Application Number:
  US08/110,821
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 257/434, 257/435, 257/459, 257/53, 250/214.1
• US Class Current: 250/214.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/0075 the input being solar radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0209 Monolithic
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/04 Optical or mechanical part supplementary adjustable parts
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0437 using masks, aperture plates, spatial light modulators, spatial filters, e.g. reflective filters
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/4228 arrangements with two or more detectors, e.g. for sensitivity compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2001/4266 for measuring solar light
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/781 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/783 using amplitude comparison of signals derived from static detectors or detector systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/7835 using coding masks
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02024 Position sensitive and lateral effect photodetectors; Quadrant photodiodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02164 for shielding light, e.g. light blocking layers, cold shields for infrared detectors

Abstract

An insolation sensor for detecting a substantial insolation direction from the sun including a light shading film an aperture defined therein and provided on one of the surfaces of a glass substrate. A position detection element having a photoelectric conversion film made of a semiconductor is formed on the other surface. The rays of light from the sun are incident as a spot beam H onto the position detection element through the aperture. The position detection element detects a center of the intensity of photocurrent at the beam receiving portion. Therefore, even when the intensity of each of the direct rays and scattered rays from the sun change on the ground depending on the weather conditions, the center position of the distribution of the insolation intensity can be detected in accordance with the weather conditions, and a substantial insolation direction can be detected.

Claims

1. An insolation detection system comprising:

an insolation sensor including;

a) light shading means having a transmission aperture defined therein for transmitting a solar beam as a spot, and

b) a position detection element disposed in a spaced-apart relationship with respect to said light shading means, said position detection element outputting an electrical signal corresponding to a position of said solar beam irradiated through said transmission aperture and corresponding to an intensity of said solar beam, said position detection element having

i) a transparent X-direction resistor film,

ii) a photoelectric conversion film disposed on said X-direction resistor film, for generating a photocurrent by means of a photoelectromotive force occurring at a portion of said photoelectric conversion film irradiated by said solar beam,

iii) a Y-direction resistor film disposed on said photoelectric conversion film,

iv) a pair of X-direction electrodes disposed at end portions of said X-direction resistor film opposing each other and having a resistance value lower than that of said X-direction resistor film, and

v) a pair of Y-direction electrodes disposed at end portions of said Y-direction resistor film in a direction orthogonally crossing said X-direction electrodes, and having a resistance value lower than that of said Y-direction resistor film;

irradiation direction determining means, operatively connected to said pairs of X-direction and Y-direction electrodes, for determining the irradiation direction of said solar beam based on a ratio of current values output from said pair of said X-direction electrodes and a ratio of current values output form said pair of said Y-direction electrodes; and

irradiation intensity determining means, operatively connected to said pair of X-direction and Y-direction electrodes, for determining an intensity of said solar beam irradiation by summing up currents flowing through one of said pair of X-direction electrodes and said pair of Y-direction electrodes.

2. An insolation detection system comprising:

an insolation sensor including;

a) light shading means having a transmission aperture defined therein for transmitting a solar beam as a spot, and

b) a position detection element disposed in a spaced-apart relationship with respect to said light shading means, for outputting an electrical signal corresponding to a position of said solar beam irradiated through said transmission aperture and corresponding to an intensity of said solar beam, said position detection element having

i) a transparent resistor film,

ii) a photoelectric conversion film disposed on said transparent resistor film, for generating a photocurrent by means of photoelectromotive force occurring at a portion of said photoelectric conversion film irradiated by said solar beam,

iii) a common electrode disposed on said photoelectric conversion film,

iv) a pair of X-direction electrodes disposed at end portions of said resistor film opposing each other, and having a resistance value lower than that of said resistor film, and

v) a pair of Y-direction electrodes disposed at end portions of said resistor film different from said end portions in a direction orthogonally crossing a pair of said X-direction electrodes, and having a resistance value lower than of said resistor film;

irradiation direction determining means, operatively connected to said pairs of X-direction and Y-direction electrodes, for determining the irradiation direction of said solar beam based on a ratio of current values output from said pair of said X-direction electrodes and a ratio of current values output from said pair of said Y-direction electrodes; and

irradiation intensity determining means, connected to said pair of X-direction and Y-direction electrodes, for determining an intensity of said solar beam irradiation by summing up currents, each flowing through one of the four electrodes forming said pair of said X-direction electrodes and said pair of said Y-direction electrodes.

3. An insolation detection system comprising:

an insolation sensor having a light shade with a transmission hole disposed therein to transmit a solar beam as a spot onto a position detection element disposed in a spaced-apart relationship with said light shade, the position detection element outputting electrical signals, on a pair of X-direction electrodes and on a pair of Y-direction electrodes, corresponding to a position of a solar beam irradiated through said transmission hole and corresponding to the intensity of the solar beam;

irradiation direction determining means, connected to said pairs of X-direction and Y-direction electrodes, for determining the irradiation direction of said solar beam on the basis of a ratio of current values output from said pair of said X-direction electrodes and a ratio of current values output from said pair of said Y-direction electrodes; and

irradiation intensity determining means, connected to said pairs of X-direction and Y-direction electrodes, for determining an intensity of said solar beam irradiation by summing up currents flowing through one of a pair of said electrodes, selected from said X-direction electrodes and said Y-direction electrodes.

4. The system of claim 3, said system further comprising:

a housing substantially enclosing said position detection element, said housing having a surface defining a window on an upper face thereof, said light shade being disposed within said window;

wherein said surface defining said window has an inclined edge to allow solar beams of relatively low altitude to irradiate said position detection element.

5. The system of claim 3, said position detection element comprising:

a transparent X-direction resistor film,

a photoelectric conversion film disposed on said X-direction resistor film, for generating a photocurrent by means of photoelectromotive force occurring at a portion of said photoelectric conversion film irradiated by said solar beam,

a Y-direction resistor film disposed on said photoelectric conversion film,

said pair of X-direction electrodes disposed at both end portions of said X-direction resistor film opposing each other, and having a resistance value lower than that of said X-direction resistor film, and

said pair of Y-direction electrodes disposed at both end portions of said Y-direction resistor film in a direction orthogonally crossing said X-direction electrodes, and having a resistance value lower than that of said Y-direction resistor film.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said transparent X-direction resistor film is made of a material selected from the group consisting of SnO₂, ZnO, and ITO.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said transparent X-direction resistor film has a sheet resistance value in the range 10 Ω

to 1 mΩ

.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein said Y-direction resistor film is made of a material selected from the group consisting of Ti, Cr, Ni, TiN, and Cu.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein said Y-direction resistor film has a sheet resistance in the range 10 Ω

to 1 mΩ

.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein said photoelectric conversion film has an irradiated resistance value in the range 1 kΩ

to 500 kΩ

.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein said photoelectric conversion film is a diode permitting a current flow from said Y-direction resistor film to said X-direction resistor film at a position where said solar beam irradiates said position detection element.

12. The system of claim 5, said photoelectric conversion film comprising:

a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type contacting said transparent X-direction resistor film;

an i-type semiconductor layer contacting a side of said first conductivity type semiconductor layer opposite said transparent resistor film; and

a semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type contacting said Y-direction resistor film and contacting a side of said i-type semiconductor layer opposite said first conductivity type semiconductor layer.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said first conductivity type is a p-type conductivity type, and said second conductivity type is an n-type conductivity type.

14. The system of claim 5, wherein said photoelectric conversion film is a pair of series-connected diodes of opposite polarity.

15. The system of claim 5, wherein said photoelectric conversion film comprises:

a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type contacting said transparent resistor film;

a first i-type semiconductor layer contacting a side of said first conductivity type semiconductor layer opposite said transparent resistor film;

a semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type contacting a side of said first i-type semiconductor opposite said first conductivity type first semiconductor layer;

a second i-type semiconductor layer contacting a side of said second conductivity type semiconductor layer opposite said first i-type semiconductor layer; and

a semiconductor layer of said first conductivity type contacting a side of said second i-type semiconductor opposite said second conductivity type semiconductor layer.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said first conductivity type is a p-type conductivity type, and said second conductivity type is an n-type conductivity type.

17. The system of claim 3, said position detection element comprising:

a transparent resistor film,

a photoelectric conversion film disposed on said transparent resistor film, for generating a photo current by means of photoelectromotive force occurring at a position of said photoelectric conversion film irradiated by said solar beam,

a common electrode disposed on said photoelectric conversion film,

a pair of X-direction electrodes disposed at both end portions of said resistor film opposing each other, and having a resistance value lower than that of said resistor film, and

a pair of Y-direction electrodes disposed at both end portions of said resistor film different from said both end portions in a direction orthogonally crossing a pair of said X-direction electrodes, and having a resistance value lower than that of said resistor film.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said photoelectric conversion film is a diode permitting a current flow from said common electrode to said transparent resistor film at a position where said solar beam irradiates said position detection element.

19. The system of claim 17, said photoelectric conversion film comprising:

a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type contacting said transparent resistor film;

an i-type semiconductor layer contacting a side of said first conductivity type semiconductor layer opposite said transparent resistor film; and

a semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type contacting said common electrode and contacting a side of said i-type semiconductor layer opposite said first conductivity type semiconductor layer.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said first conductivity type is a p-type conductivity type, and said second conductivity type is an n-type conductivity type.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein said photoelectric conversion film is a pair of series-connected diodes of opposite polarity.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein said photoelectric conversion film comprises:

a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type contacting said transparent resistor film;

a first i-type semiconductor layer contacting a side of said first conductivity type semiconductor layer opposite said transparent resistor film;

a semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type contacting a side of said first i-type semiconductor opposite said first conductivity type first semiconductor layer;

a second i-type semiconductor layer contacting a side of said second conductivity type semiconductor layer opposite said first i-type semiconductor layer; and

a semiconductor layer of said first conductivity type contacting a side of said second i-type semiconductor opposite said second conductivity type semiconductor layer.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said first conductivity type is a p-type conductivity type, and said second conductivity type is an n-type conductivity type.