Window fog detecting apparatus

• US 20060207325A1
• Filed: 03/16/2006
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kataoka, Takuya, Oda, Teruo
• Granted Patent: US 7,461,551 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/335.10
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/4738 Diffuse reflection precedence is given to G01N21/55 - G01N21/57 if specular component is taken into consideration, e.g. also for testing fluids, fibrous materials
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/94 Investigating contamination, e.g. dust G01N21/85 takes precedence

Abstract

A window fog detecting apparatus has an optical type fog detecting sensor for optically detecting fog occurring at a window glass, a humidity sensor for detecting a relative humidity of air at an interior side of the window glass, and a sensor output correcting unit. When a fog occurrence at the window glass is determined based on the output values of the optical type fog detecting sensor, the sensor output correcting unit corrects the relative humidity detected by the humidity sensor based on output values of the optical type fog detecting sensor.

Claims

1. A window fog detecting apparatus comprising:

an optical type fog detecting sensor for optically detecting fog occurring at a window glass;

a humidity sensor for detecting a relative humidity of air at an interior side of the window glass for the sake of an anti-fog control which is performed to prevent fog from occurring at the window glass; and

a sensor output correcting unit, wherein

when a fog occurrence at the window glass is determined based on the output values of the optical type fog detecting sensor, the sensor output correcting unit corrects the relative humidity detected by the humidity sensor based on output values of the optical type fog detecting sensor in the case where there exits a difference about the fog occurrence at the window glass between the relative humidity detected by the humidity sensor and the output values of the optical type fog detecting sensor.

2. The window fog detecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an air temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of air at the interior side of the window glass;

a glass temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the window glass; and

a glass surface relative humidity calculating unit for calculating a relative humidity of an inner surface of the window glass based on output values of the humidity sensor, the air temperature sensor and the glass temperature sensor, the inner surface being positioned at the interior side of the window glass.

3. The window fog detecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a relative humidity calculating unit for calculating the relative humidity of air at the interior side of the window glass based on the output value of the humidity sensor according to a predetermined calculation formula, wherein

when it is determined that fog occurs at the window glass based on the output value of the optical type fog detecting sensor, the sensor output correcting unit corrects the calculation formula so that a calculation value of the relative humidity calculating unit becomes equal to a relative humidity at an interior air temperature at which a relative humidity of an inner surface of the window glass is 100%, the interior air temperature being a temperature of air at the interior side of the window glass and the inner surface being at the interior side of the window glass.

4. The window fog detecting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the optical type fog detecting sensor includes a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit; and

the light emitting unit, the light receiving unit, the humidity sensor, the air temperature sensor, and the glass temperature sensor are integrated with the inner surface of the window glass.

5. The window fog detecting apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising

a circuit board, at which the light emitting unit, the light receiving unit, the humidity sensor and the air temperature sensor are arranged.

6. The window fog detecting apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising

a case unit which is arranged on the inner surface of the window glass and provided with a communication opening portion communicated with an space at the interior side of the window glass, wherein

the light emitting unit, the light receiving unit, the humidity sensor, the air temperature sensor and the glass temperature sensor are accommodated in the case unit.

7. The window fog detecting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the case unit has at least one positioning portion for defining an interval between the inner surface of the window glass and each of the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit.

8. The window fog detecting apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising

a lightproof film which is made of a light-tight material and adheres to the inner surface of the window glass, wherein:

light emitted from the light emitting unit is reflected by the lightproof film and enters the light receiving unit; and

the lightproof film has a temperature substantially same with that of the inner surface of the window glass.

9. The window fog detecting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the glass temperature sensor is integrated with the lightproof film.

10. The window fog detecting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the light emitting unit emits light pulses at a predetermined interval.

11. The window fog detecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an air temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of air at the interior side of the window glass; and

a glass surface relative humidity calculating unit, wherein;

the optical type fog detecting sensor includes;

an infrared light emitting unit which emits light pulses at a predetermined interval; and

an infrared light receiving unit,

wherein the fog occurrence at the window glass is detected based on a light receiving amount of the infrared light receiving unit when the infrared light emitting unit emits light, and a temperature of the window glass is detected based on the light receiving amount of the infrared light receiving unit when the infrared light emitting unit does not emit light;

the sensor output correcting unit corrects the relative humidity detected by the humidity sensor when the fog occurrence at the window glass is detected based on the light receiving amount of the infrared light receiving unit; and

the glass surface relative humidity calculating unit calculates a relative humidity of a surface of the interior side of the window glass based on an output value of the glass temperature detected by the infrared light receiving unit and output values of the humidity sensor and the air temperature sensor.

12. An air conditioner for a vehicle which has the window fog detecting apparatus according to claim 2, the air conditioner comprising:

an inside/outside air switching unit for switching suction air between inside air and outside air by opening/closing an inside air introduction port and an outside air introduction port;

a blowing unit which blows air having been introduced through at least one of the inside air introduction port and the outside air introduction port toward an interior of a passenger compartment of the vehicle;

a cooling heat exchanger for cooling air blown by the blowing unit;

a heating heat exchanger for heating air blown by the blowing unit;

a case unit having a plurality of blowing-out ports, through which air having been temperature-conditioned by the cooling heat exchanger and the heating heat exchanger is blown toward the interior of the passenger compartment; and

a plurality of blowing-out mode doors for switching a plurality of blowing-out modes by opening/closing the blowing-out ports, wherein;

the blowing-out ports include a defroster blowing-out port, through which air is blown toward a windshield of the vehicle;

the window fog detecting apparatus is mounted at a surface of the windshield, the surface being at an interior side of the passenger compartment; and

at least one of an inside/outside air switching control via the inside/outside air switching unit, an air amount control via the blowing unit, and a blowing-out mode switching control via the blowing-out mode doors is performed based on a calculation value of the glass surface relative humidity calculating unit.

13. An air conditioner for a vehicle which has the window fog detecting apparatus according to claim 11, the air conditioner comprising:

an inside/outside air switching unit for switching suction air between inside air and outside air by opening/closing an inside air introduction port and an outside air introduction port;

a blowing unit which blows air having been introduced through at least one of the inside air introduction port and the outside air introduction port toward an interior of a passenger compartment of the vehicle;

a cooling heat exchanger for cooling air blown by the blowing unit;

a heating heat exchanger for heating air blown by the blowing unit;

a case unit having a plurality of blowing-out ports, through which air having been temperature-conditioned by the cooling heat exchanger and the heating heat exchanger is blown toward the interior of the passenger compartment; and

a plurality of blowing-out mode doors for switching a plurality of blowing-out modes by opening/closing the blowing-out ports, wherein;

the blowing-out ports include a defroster blowing-out port, through which air is blown toward a windshield of the vehicle;

the window fog detecting apparatus is mounted at a surface of the windshield, the surface being at an interior side of the passenger compartment; and

at least one of an inside/outside air switching control via the inside/outside air switching unit, an air amount control via the blowing unit, and a blowing-out mode switching control via the blowing-out mode doors is performed based on a calculation value of the glass surface relative humidity calculating unit.

14. The air conditioner according to claim 12, further comprising

a compressor for circulating refrigerant through the cooling heat exchanger, wherein:

a target value of a cooling degree of the cooling heat exchanger is set so that the relative humidity of the inner surface of the window glass is within a predetermined range; and

a capability of the compressor is controlled so that an actual cooling degree of the cooling heat exchanger becomes substantially equal to the target value.

20. The window fog detecting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

when a non-occurrence of fog at the window glass is indicated by the relative humidity detected by the humidity senor and a fog occurrence at the window glass is determined based on the output values of the optical fog detecting sensor, the sensor output correction unit corrects the calculation formula based on the output values of the optical fog detecting sensor so that the calculation value of the relative humidity calculating unit becomes substantially equal to a relative humidity at an interior air temperature at which the glass surface relative humidity is 100%, the interior air temperature being the temperature of air at the interior side of the window glass.

21. The window fog detecting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

in the case where the anti-fog control based on the relative humidity is not performed even when the relative humidity detected by the humidity senor indicates a fog occurrence at the window glass,

the sensor output correction unit corrects the calculation formula based on the output values of the optical fog detecting sensor so that the calculation value of the relative humidity calculating unit becomes substantially equal to a relative humidity at the interior air temperature at which the glass surface relative humidity is 100%, when the fog occurrence at the window glass is determined based on the output values of the optical fog detecting sensor.

22. The window fog detecting apparatus according to claim 21, wherein:

the window glass is attached to a vehicle having an air conditioner; and

in the case where the air conditioner is manually operated,

the sensor output correction unit corrects the calculation formula based on the output values of the optical fog detecting sensor so that the calculation value of the relative humidity calculating unit becomes substantially equal to a relative humidity at the interior air temperature at which the glass surface relative humidity is 100%, when the fog occurrence at the window glass is determined based on the output values of the optical fog detecting sensor.

23. The window fog detecting apparatus according to claim 21, wherein:

the window glass is attached to a vehicle having an air conditioner, which is provided with a warming-up control at an air-conditioning start thereof so that conditioned air is not blown out until a cooling water temperature of an engine of the vehicle is higher than or equal to a predetermined value; and

in the case where the warming-up control is performed,

the sensor output correction unit corrects the calculation formula based on the output values of the optical fog detecting sensor so that the calculation value of the relative humidity calculating unit becomes substantially equal to a relative humidity at the interior air temperature at which the glass surface relative humidity is 100%, when the fog occurrence at the window glass is determined based on the output values of the optical fog detecting sensor.

15. A window fog detecting apparatus, comprising:

an optical type fog detecting sensor which includes a light emitting unit for emitting light toward a window glass and a light receiving unit for receiving reflection light from the window glass;

a fog-degree calculating unit for calculating a fog-degree judgment value based on a ratio of projection light from the light emitting unit to the reflection light;

a fog judging unit for judging a fog occurrence at the window glass based on the fog-degree judgment value; and

a first correction unit which corrects a calculation formula of the fog-degree judgment value, so that the fog-degree judgment value becomes substantially equal to a value indicating a non-occurrence of fog at the window glass in the case where the non-occurrence of fog at the window glass is determined by the fog judging unit.

16. The window fog detecting apparatus according to claim 15, wherein:

the fog-degree judgment value is calculated by the fog-degree calculating unit to be substantially equal to 1 in the case where fog does not occur at the window glass;

the fog judging unit determines that fog occurs at the window glass in the case where the fog-degree judgment value is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, which is set by the fog judging unit to be smaller than 1; and

the first correcting unit corrects the calculation formula so that the fog-degree judgment value is substantially equal to 1.

17. The window fog detecting apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising

an ambient temperature judging unit for judging whether or not an ambient temperature of the optical type fog detecting sensor is lower than or equal to a predetermined temperature;

and

only in the case where the ambient temperature is lower than or equal to the predetermined temperature, the optical type fog detecting sensor is actuated and the fog-degree judgment value is calculated.

18. The window fog detecting apparatus according to claim 15, wherein

in the case where it is determined that fog does not occur at the window glass, the calculation formula is corrected only when a predetermined period has elapsed from a time when a preceding correction of the calculation formula was executed.

19. The window fog detecting apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising:

a humidity sensor for detecting a relative humidity of air at an interior side of the window glass;

a humidity calculating unit for calculating the relative humidity based on an output value of the humidity sensor; and

a second correcting unit for correcting a humidity calculation formula of the humidity calculating unit when the fog judging unit determines that fog occurs at the window glass.