Detection and identification of opaqueness of vehicle windows

• US 10,053,059 B1
• Filed: 10/04/2017
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Worthen, Reid William Kaufman
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Hoa
• Application Number:
  US15/725,085
• Time in Patent Office: 321 Days
• Field of Search: 3562391, 3562394, 3562395, 3562371-2375, 356445, 318643, 318483, 318 70, 250574, 250223 B, 340602
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00785 by the detection of humidity or frost
• 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 1/485 including control systems responsive to external conditions, e.g. by detection of moisture, dirt or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/157 Monitoring by optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/8841 Illumination and detection on two sides of object
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/945 Liquid or solid deposits of macroscopic size on surfaces, e.g. drops, films, or clustered contaminants dust particles and microscopic contaminants in G01N21/94
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/9586 Windscreens

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for detection and identification of opaqueness of vehicle windows. An example vehicle includes a window including an interior surface and an exterior surface, a light transmitter to emit light, and light sensors to measure the light. The light sensors include a first sensor offset from and a second sensor aligned with the interior surface. The light sensors also include a third sensor offset from and a fourth sensor aligned with the exterior surface. The example vehicle also includes a controller for detecting a source of opaqueness of the window via the light sensors.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a window including an interior surface and an exterior surface;

a light transmitter to emit light;

light sensors to measure the light and including;

a first sensor offset from and a second sensor aligned with the interior surface; and

a third sensor offset from and a fourth sensor aligned with the exterior surface; and

a controller for detecting a source of opaqueness of the window via the light sensors.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the window is a windshield.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the second sensor is embedded within the window.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, further including a bracket coupled to the exterior surface via adhesive, the third sensor being offset from the exterior surface via the bracket.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller detects that the source of opaqueness includes condensation on the interior surface responsive to determining a first measurement of the first sensor is greater than a second measurement of the second sensor by at least a first predetermined value.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the controller identifies that frost is on the window responsive to detecting that the source of opaqueness includes the condensation on the interior surface.

7. The vehicle of claim 5, further including an HVAC system that the controller activates responsive to the controller detecting that the source of opaqueness includes the condensation on the interior surface of the window.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller detects that the source of opaqueness includes condensation on the exterior surface responsive to determining a third measurement of the third sensor is less than a fourth measurement of the fourth sensor by at least a second predetermined value.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the controller identifies that rain, snow, ice, or dirt is on the window based upon a difference between the third measurement and the fourth measurement.

10. The vehicle of claim 8, further including wipers that the controller activates responsive to the controller detecting the source of opaqueness on the exterior surface of the window.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller detects that the source of opaqueness is within the window responsive to determining a fourth measurement of the fourth sensor is less than a second measurement of the second sensor by at least a third predetermined value.

12. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

the light sensors include a fifth sensor coupled to the interior surface, the fifth sensor facing away from the light transmitter in a direction opposite to the first sensor; and

the controller detects that the source of opaqueness is within the window responsive to determining a fourth measurement of the fourth sensor is less than a fifth measurement of the fifth sensor by at least a fourth predetermined value.

13. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller identifies that there is an imperfection within the window responsive to detecting that that the source of opaqueness is within the window.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the controller sends a signal to emit an alert responsive to the controller detecting that the source of opaqueness is within the window.

15. A method comprising:

emitting light via a light transmitter;

collecting measurements of the light via light sensors including;

a first sensor offset from and a second sensor aligned with an interior surface of a vehicle window; and

a third sensor offset from and a fourth sensor aligned with an exterior surface of the vehicle window; and

detecting, via a processor, a source of opaqueness of the vehicle window based upon a comparison of the measurements.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein collecting the measurements via the light sensors includes collecting a first measurement via the first sensor, a second measurement via the second sensor, a third measurement via the third sensor, and a fourth measurement via the fourth sensor.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein detecting the source of opaqueness includes:

detecting that the source of opaqueness includes condensation on the interior surface responsive to determining the first measurement is greater than the second measurement by at least a first predetermined value; and

detecting that the source of opaqueness includes condensation on the exterior surface responsive to determining the third measurement is less than the fourth measurement by at least a second predetermined value.

18. The method of claim 17, further including activating an HVAC system responsive to detecting that the source of opaqueness includes the condensation on the interior surface.

19. The method of claim 17, further including activating wipers responsive to detecting that the source of opaqueness includes the condensation on the exterior surface.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein detecting the source of opaqueness includes detecting that the source of opaqueness is within the vehicle window responsive to determining the fourth measurement is less than the second measurement by at least a third predetermined value.