Arrangement for measuring or detecting a change in a retro-reflective element

• US 5,666,037 A
• Filed: 04/15/1996
• Issued: 09/09/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gerd Reime
• Original Assignee: Gerd Reime
• Inventors: Reime, Gerd
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca, John W.
• Application Number:
  US08/578,685
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 318/DIG. 2, 318/483, 318/443, 318/480, 318/444, 15/250.002, 15/250.001, 356/369, 356/239, 356/364, 356/361, 356/124, 356/152.1, 356/345, 250/339.1, 250/393
• US Class Current: 318/483
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0818 including control systems responsive to external conditions, e.g. by detection of moisture, dirt or the like
• 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: G01N 2021/551 Retroreflectance
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/43 by measuring critical angle
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8422 Investigating thin films, e.g. matrix isolation method
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 318/02 Windshield wiper controls

Abstract

An arrangement for indicating a change in a reflective element of a radiation-permeable medium having a detection side disposed opposite the reflective element. The arrangement includes two measured sections each having a radiation source for generating radiation for transmission through the radiation-permeable medium; a sensor-active surface on the reflective element for reflecting at least a portion of the generated radiation through the detection side; and a radiation receiver for receiving the reflected radiation which has an output for producing a detection signal representing received radiation. The arrangement further includes a switch arrangement for periodically actuating respective ones of the measured sections in a successive, repeating switching sequence according to a predetermined frequency; an adjusting device for adjusting the detection signal so that, in a rest state of the sensor-active surface of each measured section, a part of the detection signal corresponding to each measured section has an average amplitude value equal to an average amplitude value of parts of the detection signal corresponding to other ones of the measured sections; a filter circuit for producing a filtered detection signal; and an evaluation device having an input for receiving the filtered detection signal and producing an output signal in dependence of a difference between parts of the filtered detection signal corresponding to respective ones of the measured sections.

Claims

1. An arrangement for indicating a change in a reflective element of a radiation-permeable medium having a detection side disposed opposite the reflective element, the arrangement comprising:

at least two measured sections for generating, reflecting and receiving radiation for measurement, each measured section including;

a radiation source disposed adjacent the detection side of the medium for generating radiation for transmission through the radiation-permeable medium thereby resulting in generated radiation;

a sensor-active surface on the reflective element for reflecting at least a portion of the generated radiation thereby resulting in reflected radiation emerging from the detection side of the medium; and

a radiation receiver disposed adjacent the detection side of the medium at a distance from the radiation source for receiving the reflected radiation, the radiation receiver having an output for producing a detection signal representing received radiation;

a switch arrangement operatively coupled to the at least two measured sections for periodically actuating respective ones of the measured sections in a successive, repeating switching sequence according to a predetermined switching sequence frequency, wherein the detection signal includes a modulation frequency corresponding to the predetermined switching sequence frequency;

an adjusting device operatively coupled to the at least two measured sections for adjusting the detection signal so that, in a rest state of the sensor-active surface of each measured section, a part of the detection signal corresponding to each measured section has an average amplitude value equal to an average amplitude value of parts of the detection signal corresponding to other ones of the measured sections;

a filter circuit connected to the radiation receiver of each measured section for producing a filtered detection signal; and

an evaluation device having an input for receiving the filtered detection signal and producing an output signal in dependence of a difference between parts of the filtered detection signal corresponding to respective ones of the at least two measured sections.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein:

the at least two measured sections comprise a first measured section and a second measured section including, respectively, a first radiation source and a second radiation source;

the switch arrangement is operatively connected to the first and second radiation sources; and

the adjusting device is operatively connected to the first and second radiation sources for adjusting a radiation output of each of the first and second radiation sources so that, in the rest state of the sensor-active surface, each of the first and second radiation sources produces a part of the detection signal having an average amplitude value equal to an average amplitude value of parts of the detection signal produced by other ones of the first and second radiation sources.

3. The arrangement according to claim 2, wherein:

the first and second radiation sources are effective for generating radiation such that the reflected radiation corresponding to each of the first and second radiation sources exhibits a radiation strength curve reaching a maximum value in a respective maximum radiation zone at a predetermined distance from the respective radiation source on the detection side of the medium when the sensor-active surface is in a rest state, the first and second radiation sources thereby having respective maximum radiation zones; and

the radiation receiver of each measured section is disposed in a zone of overlap of the maximum radiation zones.

4. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein:

the medium is one of a plate and a wall;

the reflective element is a wettable outer surface of the medium; and

the detection side of the reflective element is an inner surface of the medium disposed opposite the outer surface, the radiation sources being disposed to generate radiation toward the inner surface.

5. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment device includes:

a circuit arrangement having a current pulse generator generating a non-inverting output and an inverting output; and

a current adjusting member disposed in at least one of the non-inverting output and the inverting output for adjusting a radiation output of a corresponding radiation source, the current adjusting member being adapted to be switched by at least one of the non-inverting output and the inverting output.

6. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the filter circuit includes a high-pass filter.

7. The arrangement according to claim 3, wherein:

the first and second radiation sources are disposed on the side of the medium opposite the reflective element at a distance relative to one another, the first and second radiation sources, and thus the first and second measured sections, sharing a common radiation receiver;

the maximum value on the radiation strength curve of the reflected radiation generated by the first radiation source when the sensor active area is in its rest state is a first maximum value;

the maximum value on the radiation strength curve of the reflected radiation generated by the second radiation source when the sensor active area is in its rest state is a second maximum value; and

the common radiation receiver is disposed on the detection side of the medium at a location between the first maximum value and the second maximum value.

8. The arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a regulating device including:

a signal centering stage disposed at an output of the filter circuit for receiving the filtered detection signal therefrom, the signal centering stage having;

a synchronous demodulator for scanning an amplitude value of parts of the detection signal corresponding to each actuated one of the measured sections;

a demodulation value memory operatively connected to the demodulator for storing average amplitude values of the parts scanned by the demodulator; and

a comparing device operatively connected to the demodulation value memory for generating a difference value of the average amplitude values stored by the demodulation value memory; and

a regulation signal generator connected to an output of the signal centering stage and including;

a time constant member generating a control time constant Tr many times greater than an oscillation period of the switching sequence frequency; and

a regulation signal generator operatively connected to the time constant member for generating a regulation signal Sr from the difference value of the average amplitude values stored by the demodulation value memory, whereby the adjusting device is connected to the regulation signal generator for receiving the regulation signal therefrom, the regulation signal being effective for guiding an adjustment effected by the adjustment device such that the difference value of the average amplitude values approaches zero.

9. The arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the first and second radiation sources are disposed relative to the reflective element such that an angle of incidence of a beam of maximum radiation intensity of each of the first and second radiation sources relative to the reflective element is approximately equal to an angle of emergence of a corresponding reflected radiation from the detection side of the medium at a location on the detection side where the reflected radiation reaches its maximum value.

10. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation device is adapted to evaluate an intensity of the filtered detection signal while a removal device sweeps across the reflective element at the sensor-active surface of each measured section, and further includes a memory unit responsive to the intensity of the filtered detection signal falling below a threshold control value for controlling the removal device.

11. The arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the memory unit includes a switching means for resetting the removal device, and an adjusting means operatively connected to the switching means for adjusting a time constant of the arrangement to a value many times greater than an oscillation period of the switching sequence frequency.

12. The arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a switching means disposed to receive the detection signal prior to the evaluation device for suppressing at least a first input detection signal for producing an initial signal connection to the evaluation device for subsequent detection signals.

13. The arrangement according to claim 12, further comprising a timer operatively connected to the switching means for producing the initial signal connection to the evaluation device for a predetermined time interval such that each subsequent signal restarts the time interval.