Device for detecting a parameter associated with the state of a vehicle, especially an automobile

• US 6,768,099 B1
• Filed: 03/13/2001
• Issued: 07/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Valeo Climatisation
• Original Assignee: Valeo Climatisation
• Inventors: Laurent, Patrice, De Monts, Antoine, Auge, Jean-Luc, Cheng, Thierry
• Primary Examiner(s): Glick, Edward J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SONG, HOON K
• Application Number:
  US09/743,717
• Time in Patent Office: 1,232 Days
• Field of Search: 250/227.24, 250/227.25, 250/573, 250/574, 250/221, 340/602, 340/603, 340/604
• US Class Current: 250/227.24
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10036 comprising two outer glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0822 characterized by the arrangement or type of detection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0837 with a particular arrangement of the optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0877 at least part of the sensor being positioned between layers of the windshield
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/552 Attenuated total reflection

Abstract

The invention relates to the detection of parameters that are representative of a state associated with an automobile windscreen (1), by optical means. The inventive device comprises a module (20) that is sensitive to at least one of the aforementioned parameters and which is at least partially embedded in a layer (11) of the windscreen. Said windscreen comprises two glass panels (10a, 10b), which are separated by a spacer comprising the part of the module (20) that is embedded.

Claims

1. A device for detecting a parameter representative of a state associated with a glazing of a motor vehicle including a module (20), comprising:

means (E1, E2) for emitting at least one electromagnetic beam (F1) towards one face (AV) of the glazing, wherein said means for emitting are disposed within said glazing;

means (R) for receiving at least a part of the beam returned by said face; and

at least one insert (I1, I2) at least partly implanted into a thickness (e) of the glazing, provided with a surface (S1, S2;

S11) facing said face (AV, AR), said surface formed of a material that substantially reflects the beam (F1), in such a way that the beam, from emission to reception, undergoes a plurality of reflections in the thickness of the glazing, between the surface (S1, S2;

S11) of the insert (I1) and the face (AV, AR) of the glazing, wherein said beam follows a path from said means for emitting to said one face of the glazing without passing through said insert,

wherein the receiving means include at least one sensor for detecting said part of the beam returned by said face, and implanted into the thickness of the glazing, and

wherein the emitting means are configured to emit a first electromagnetic beam intended to be at least partly returned by a front face of the glazing, as well as a second beam intended to be at least partly returned by a rear face of the glazing, with a view to detecting foreign substances on the front and/or rear faces of the glazing and the module includes at least one insert in the thickness of the glazing, equipped with a first reflecting surface facing the front face, and with a second reflecting surface facing the rear face, while the receiving means are configured to receive at least parts of the first and second beams, which are reflected respectively by the front and rear faces.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the emitting means include first and second sources suitable for emitting the said first and second beams respectively, while the receiving means include a sensor for detecting the reflected parts of the first and second beams;

and in that the first and second sources, as well as the said sensor, are applied against the same face of the glazing.

3. A device for detecting at least one parameter representative of at least one state associated with a glazing of a motor vehicle, the device comprising:

a first emitting means (E1) for emitting a first, electromagnetic beam (F1) that is reflected by a first face (AV) of the glazing;

a second emitting means (E2) for emitting a second electromagnetic beam (F2) that is reflected by a second face (AR) of the glazing;

receiving means (R) for receiving at least a part of the first electromagnetic beam reflected by the first face and for receiving at least a part of the second electromagnetic beam reflected by the second face;

at least one insert (I1, I2) at least partly implanted into a thickness (e) of the glazing, the at least one insert comprising a first surface (S1;

S11) facing the first face and a second surface (S2;

S11) facing the second face, the first and second surfaces formed of a material that substantially reflects the first and second electromagnetic beams, in such a way that, from emission to reception, the first electromagnetic beam undergoes a first plurality of reflections in the glazing between the first surface of the at least one insert and the first face of the glazing, and the second electromagnetic beam undergoes a second plurality of reflections in the glazing between the second surface of the at least one insert and the second face of the glazing.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the first electromagnetic beam follows a first path from the first emitting means to the first face of the glazing without passing through the at least one insert, and wherein the second electromagnetic beam follows a second path from the second emitting means to the second face of the glazing without passing through the at least one insert.

5. A device according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the first emitting means and the second emitting means comprises an emitting source applied against the first face or the second face of the glazing.

6. A device according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the first emitting means and the second emitting means is implanted into the thickness e of the glazing.

7. A device according to claim 3, wherein both the first emitting means and the second emitting means are implanted into the thickness e of the glazing.

8. A device according to claim 3, wherein the receiving means comprise a first sensor (R1) for detecting the first electromagnetic beam reflected by the first face of the glazing, and a second sensor (R2) for detecting the second electromagnetic beam reflected by the second face of the glazing.

9. A device according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the first and second sensors is implanted into the thickness e of the glazing.

10. A device according to claim 3, wherein the first face comprises the front face of the glazing and the second face comprises the rear face of the glazing.

11. A device according to claim 3, wherein the at least one insert comprises a single insert (S11) having the first surface (S11) and the second surface (S12) opposite one another.

12. A device according to claim 3, wherein the at least one insert comprises a first insert (I1) and a second insert (I2) having the first surface (S1) and the second surface (S2), respectively.

13. A device according to claim 3, wherein the first emitting means and the second emitting means comprise first and second emitting sources, respectively, both of the first and second emitting sources being applied against one of the faces selected from the first face and the second face of the glazing.

14. A device according to claim 3, further comprising a luminous-flux sensor inserted into the thickness (e) of the glazing.

15. A device according to claim 3, wherein the first electromagnetic beam and the receiving means detect foreign substances on the first face.

16. A device according to claim 15, wherein the second electromagnetic beam and the receiving means detect foreign substances on the second face.

17. A device according to claim 16, wherein the first and second faces comprise the front and rear faces of an automobile windscreen, and wherein the foreign substances on the front and rear faces comprise water and mist, respectively.

18. A device for detecting at least one parameter representative of at least one state associated with a glazing of a motor vehicle, the glazing comprising first and second glass panels (10a, 10b) respectively having first and second outer faces (AV, AR) separated by a thickness (e) of the glazing, and a spacer 11 of thickness (e′

) interposed between the first and second glass panels, the device comprising;

a first emitting means (E1) for emitting a first electromagnetic beam (F1) that is reflected by the first face (AV) of the glazing;

a second emitting means (E2) for emitting a second electromagnetic beam (F2) that is reflected by the second face (AR) of the glazing;

receiving means (R) for receiving at least a part of the first electromagnetic beam reflected by the first face and for receiving at least a part of the second electromagnetic beam reflected by the second face (AR);

at least one insert (I1, I2) at least partly implanted into a thickness e of the glazing, the at least one insert comprising a first surface (S1;

S11) substantially opposite the first face and a second surface (S2;

S11) substantially opposite said second face, said first and second surfaces formed of a material that substantially reflects the first and second electromagnetic beams, in such a way that, from emission to reception, the first electromagnetic beam undergoes a first plurality of reflections in the glazing between the first surface of the at least one insert and the first face of the glazing, and the second electromagnetic beam undergoes a second plurality of reflections in the glazing between the second surface of the at least one insert and the second face of the glazing.

19. A device according to claim 18, wherein the first electromagnetic beam follows a first path from the first emitting means to the first face of the glazing without passing through the at least one insert, and wherein the second electromagnetic beam follows a second path from the second emitting means to the second face of the glazing without passing through the at least one insert.

20. A device according to claim 18, wherein at least one of the first emitting means and the second emitting means comprises an emitting source applied against the first face or the second face of the glazing.

21. A device according to claim 18, wherein at least one of the first emitting means and the second emitting means is implanted into the spacer of the glazing.

22. A device according to claim 18, wherein both the first emitting means and the second emitting means are implanted into the spacer of the glazing.

23. A device according to claim 18, wherein the receiving means comprise a first sensor (R1) for detecting the first electromagnetic beam reflected by the first face of the glazing, and a second sensor (R2) for detecting the second electromagnetic beam reflected by the second face of the glazing.

24. A device according to claim 23, wherein at least one of the first and second sensors is implanted into the spacer of the glazing.

25. A device according to claim 18, wherein the first face comprises the front face of the glazing and the second face comprises the rear face of the glazing.

26. A device according to claim 18, wherein the at least one insert comprises a single insert (I11) having the first surface (S11) and the second surface (S12) opposite one another.

27. A device according to claim 18, wherein the at least one insert comprises a first insert (I1) and a second insert (I2) having the first surface (S1) and the second surface (S2), respectively.

28. A device according to claim 18, wherein the first emitting means and the second emitting means comprise first and second emitting sources, respectively, both of the first and second emitting sources being applied against one of the first face and the second face of the glazing.

29. A device according to claim 18, further comprising a luminous-flux sensor inserted into the thickness (e) of the glazing.

30. A device according to claim 18, wherein the first electromagnetic beam and the receiving means detect foreign substances on the first face.

31. A device according to claim 30, wherein the second electromagnetic beam and the receiving means detect foreign substances on the second face.

32. A device according to claim 31, wherein the first and second faces comprise the front and rear faces of an automobile windscreen, and wherein the foreign substances on the front and rear faces comprise water and mist, respectively.