Tunnel sensor
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a photosensor for sensing ambient light;
a housing; and
a channel defined within said housing for providing light to said photosensor, said channel having an upper wall, a lower wall, and two sidewalls;
wherein the lower wall is inclined more than about two degrees above the horizontal, the upper wall is inclined less than about sixty five degrees above the horizontal, and the included angle between said sidewalls is more than about two degrees and less than about ninety degrees.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A sensor (20, 100, 200, 300) for detecting the approach and exit of a vehicle (42) to a tunnel (46). In one embodiment there is a sensor (20, 100, 200, 300) with a photodiode (22a) that receives light through an inclined channel (30, 30′) or aperture (32, 332, 432). The channel provides a field of view (44, 344, 31) ahead and above the vehicle. The photosensor (22a) is thus sensitive to the change in light from this field of view (44, 344, 31) as a vehicle enters (46a) and exits (46b) a tunnel (46). Some embodiments of the present invention include a second photosensor (22b) with a wider field of view (112, 112″, 111) for detecting ambient light.
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Citations
91 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a photosensor for sensing ambient light;
a housing; and
a channel defined within said housing for providing light to said photosensor, said channel having an upper wall, a lower wall, and two sidewalls;
wherein the lower wall is inclined more than about two degrees above the horizontal, the upper wall is inclined less than about sixty five degrees above the horizontal, and the included angle between said sidewalls is more than about two degrees and less than about ninety degrees. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus comprising:
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a vehicle;
a housing mounted on said vehicle;
a first aperture defined within said housing;
a second aperture defined within said housing;
a photosensor receiving ambient light from said second aperture; and
a channel defined within said housing for transmitting light to said photosensor, said channel having a lower wall with a portion of said lower wall inclined more than about two degrees above the horizontal, said channel having two ends, said channel having said first aperture at one end and said second aperture at the other end;
wherein a portion of said first aperture is above said second aperture, and said channel provides a field of view to said photosensor that is above and ahead of said vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for detecting a tunnel over a vehicle roadway, comprising:
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providing a channel in optical communication with a photosensor, the channel being within a housing mounted on a vehicle;
orienting the channel such that a portion of the channel generally faces ahead of the vehicle and generally faces above the vehicle;
restricting light to the photosensor from behind the vehicle;
permitting light to enter the channel and fall incident upon the photosensor; and
measuring a change in the electrical characteristics of the photosensor when the vehicle approaches a tunnel. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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23. An apparatus for a vehicle for sensing ambient light, comprising:
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a housing;
a first photosensor with a first electrical signal in response to ambient light incident thereon;
a channel defined within said housing for providing ambient light in a first field of view to said first photosensor; and
a second photosensor with a second electrical signal in response to ambient light incident thereon, said second photosensor being provided ambient light in a second field of view, the second field of view being larger than the first field of view;
wherein said channel provides a field of view to said first photosensor that is generally above and ahead of said vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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33. An apparatus for detecting a tunnel over a roadway, comprising:
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a vehicle for travelling on the roadway;
a photosensor for sensing ambient light, said photosensor providing a changeable electrical signal in response to the ambient light;
a housing mounted on said vehicle; and
a channel defined within said housing for providing ambient light to said photosensor, said channel having two side walls and a lower wall;
wherein the lower wall is inclined above the horizontal, and said side walls define an angle therebetween, and the angle is greater than about two degrees and less than about ninety degrees, and said electrical signal changes in response to said vehicle approaching the tunnel. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. An apparatus for a vehicle for sensing ambient light, comprising:
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a vehicle with actuatable headlights;
a housing mounted on said vehicle;
a first photosensor providing a first electrical signal responsive to ambient light received thereon;
an aperture defined within said housing for providing ambient light in a first field of view to said first photosensor, the first field of view being generally above and ahead of said vehicle, the first field of view restricting light to said first photosensor from behind said vehicle, the field of view having a top inclined less than about sixty five degrees above the horizontal; and
a controller for actuating said headlights, said controller receiving said first electrical signal and actuating said headlights in response thereto. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. An apparatus comprising:
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a vehicle having a front and a rear;
a housing mounted on said vehicle;
an aperture defined within said housing; and
a photosensor receiving ambient light from said aperture, said aperture limiting light received by said photosensor from the rear of said vehicle;
wherein said aperture provides a field of view to said photosensor that is above and ahead of said vehicle, and the field of view through said aperture has a bottom and the bottom is inclined at least about two degrees above the horizontal, and less than about sixty five degrees above the horizontal. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A method for detecting a tunnel over a vehicle roadway, comprising:
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providing an aperture in optical communication with a photosensor, the aperture being within a housing mounted on a vehicle with actuatable headlights;
orienting the aperture in front of the photosensor such that the aperture provides a field of view to the photosensor that generally faces ahead of the vehicle and generally faces above the vehicle;
permitting light to enter the aperture and fall incident upon the photosensor;
measuring a change in the electrical characteristics of the photosensor when the vehicle approaches a tunnel; and
responding to said measuring by actuating the headlights of the vehicle before the vehicle crosses a threshold of the tunnel. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. An apparatus for a vehicle for sensing ambient light, comprising:
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a housing with a front and a rear;
a first photosensor providing a first electrical signal in response to ambient light incident thereon;
an aperture defined within said housing for providing ambient light in a first field of view to said first photosensor; and
a second photosensor providing a second electrical signal in response to ambient light incident thereon, said second photosensor being provided ambient light in a second field of view, the second field of view being larger than the first field of view;
wherein said aperture provides a first field of view to said first photosensor that is generally above and ahead of the housing and inclined above the horizontal. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71)
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72. An apparatus for a vehicle for sensing ambient light, comprising:
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a vehicle with an actuatable recirculating air conditioning system;
a photosensor providing an electrical signal responsive to ambient light received thereon, said photosensor receiving light from a field of view generally above and ahead of said vehicle, the field of view restricting light to said photosensor from behind said vehicle; and
a controller receiving said electrical signal and capable of actuating said recirculating air conditioning system in response thereto;
wherein said electrical signal changes in response to a threshold of a tunnel passing through the field of view, and said controller actuates said system to recirculate before said vehicle crosses the threshold in response to the change in said electrical signal. - View Dependent Claims (73, 74, 75, 76, 77)
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78. An apparatus for detecting a tunnel over a roadway, comprising:
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a housing with a front and a rear, said housing defining an aperture; and
a photosensor receiving ambient light from said aperture, said aperture limiting light received by said photosensor toward the rear of said housing;
wherein said photosensor and said aperture are spaced apart such that said aperture provides a field of view to said photosensor that is toward the front of said housing and above said housing, the field of view through said aperture has a bottom and the bottom is inclined at least about two degrees above the horizontal, and less than about sixty five degrees above the horizontal. - View Dependent Claims (79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87)
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88. A method for detecting a tunnel over a vehicle roadway, comprising:
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providing an aperture in optical communication with a photosensor, the aperture being within a housing;
orienting the aperture such the aperture provides a field of view to the photosensor which generally faces ahead of the housing and generally faces above the housing, the field of view being inclined above the horizontal;
restricting light to the photosensor from behind the housing;
permitting light to enter the aperture and fall incident upon the photosensor; and
providing a change in the electrical characteristics of the photosensor when the housing approaches a tunnel. - View Dependent Claims (89, 90, 91)
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Specification