SOLAR SENSOR INCLUDING REFLECTIVE ELEMENT TO TRANSFORM THE ANGULAR RESPONSE
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Accused Products
Abstract
A solar sensor that utilizes a blocking element and curved reflective element between the sun and a photo-sensitive electronic device to provide high signal levels and the ability to shape the angular response of the overall sensor. A particular angular response can be achieved by combining the attenuating affects of the blocking element with the increased response affects of the curved reflector. These two elements may be combined into one physical structure, or may be separate. Further, the present invention contemplates the use of multiple blocking elements and multiple reflectors.
98 Citations
67 Claims
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1-20. -20. (canceled)
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21. An apparatus for collecting solar radiation, comprising:
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a housing including a portion which transmits solar radiation incident thereon, said housing having an interior, said housing including an opaque portion;
a photo-sensitive electronic device located within said housing and having a photo-responsive surface which receives solar radiation and modifies an electrical signal in response thereto;
wherein at least a portion of the opaque portion is located between the solar radiation source and said photo-responsive surface; and
a first reflective surface located in the interior of said housing, said first reflective surface being adapted and configured to reflect radiation toward the photo-responsive surface, wherein said first reflective surface is not located between the opaque portion and the photo-responsive surface. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A method comprising the steps of:
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providing an apparatus for collecting solar radiation, the apparatus comprising;
a housing including a portion which transmits solar radiation incident thereon, said housing having an interior, said housing including an opaque portion;
a photo-sensitive electronic device located within said housing and having a photo-responsive surface which receives solar radiation and modifies an electrical signal in response thereto, at least a portion of the opaque portion being above said photo-responsive surface; and
a curved reflective surface located in the interior of said housing, said reflective surface being adapted and configured to reflect radiation toward said photo-responsive surface;
receiving solar radiation upon the housing, a portion of the solar radiation being transmitted at an angle such that the portion does not fall directly incident upon said photo-responsive surface;
reflecting the portion off of the reflecting surface and onto said active surface;
modifying the output of the sensor in response to the reflected portion. - View Dependent Claims (43)
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44. An apparatus comprising:
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a photo-sensitive electronic device having an active surface for collection of solar radiation, said electronic device having an opaque back surface;
a first reflective surface adapted to reflect incident solar radiation onto said active surface;
wherein said electronic device is located between said first reflective surface and the solar radiation source. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A apparatus comprising:
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a housing including a portion which transmits solar radiation incident thereon, said housing having an interior;
a photo-sensitive electronic device located within said housing and having a photo-responsive surface which receives solar radiation and modifies an electrical signal in response thereto; and
a curved reflective surface located in the interior of said housing, said reflective surface being adapted to reflect radiation toward said photo-responsive surface, said reflective surface having a reflective side and a back side;
wherein, said back side will transmit a first percentage of a first luminous-flux density of solar radiation incident thereon and said reflective side will transmit a second percentage of said first luminous-flux density of solar radiation incident thereon, wherein said first percentage is substantially greater than said second percentage. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62)
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63. A system comprising:
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a vehicle having a passenger compartment;
a photo-sensitive electronic device having a photo-responsive element which receives solar radiation and modifies an electrical signal in response to an intensity of solar radiation received by said surface;
a shadow element having a shape and a size, said shadow element adapted to project a shadow onto the photo-responsive element; and
a first curved reflective element having a first configuration, said reflective element adapted to reflect solar radiation onto the photo-responsive element;
wherein said shape and said size of said shadow element and said first configuration of said first reflective element are adapted to modify said intensity to approximate a heating effect of solar radiation entering said passenger compartment. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66, 67)
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Specification