LIGHT SENSOR FOR DETECTING BRIGHTNESS

• US 20090152449A1
• Filed: 12/03/2008
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: GOTO, Koichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,084,758 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/214.R
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0214 Constructional arrangements for removing stray light
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0271 Housings; Attachments or accessories for photometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/04 Optical or mechanical part supplementary adjustable parts
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0411 using focussing or collimating elements, i.e. lenses or mirrors; Aberration correction
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/06 Restricting the angle of incident light

Abstract

A light sensor for detecting brightness of an outside of a vehicle includes: a light shielding element on a windshield; a light guiding element in a through hole of the light shielding element; and a light receiving element that receives light from the outside of the vehicle via the light guiding element and the windshield. The light guiding element includes an entrance surface facing the windshield and an output surface facing the light receiving element. The entrance surface receives the light from the outside. The light guiding element transmits and outputs the light from the output surface toward the light receiving element. The entrance surface has a top disposed inside of the through hole.

Claims

1. A light sensor for detecting brightness of an outside of a vehicle comprising:

a light shielding element mounted on an inner surface of a windshield of the vehicle, wherein the light shielding element includes a through hole;

a light guiding element disposed in the through hole of the light shielding element; and

a light receiving element that receives light from the outside of the vehicle via the light guiding element and the windshield,

wherein the light receiving element outputs a signal corresponding to an amount of the light,

wherein the light guiding element includes an entrance surface facing the windshield and an output surface facing the light receiving element,

wherein the entrance surface of the light guiding element receives the light from the outside of the vehicle via the windshield,

wherein the light guiding element transmits the light therein and outputs the light from the output surface of the light guiding element toward the light receiving element, and

wherein the entrance surface has a top, which is disposed inside of the through hole.

2. The light sensor according to claim 1,

wherein the entrance surface of the light guiding element has a normal line, which is in parallel to a horizontal direction of the vehicle.

3. The light sensor according to claim 2,

wherein the entrance surface of the light guiding element is flat.

4. The light sensor according to claim 1,

wherein the entrance surface of the light guiding element is inclined downward with respect to the horizontal direction of the vehicle.

5. The light sensor according to claim 4,

wherein the entrance surface of the light guiding element is flat.

6. The light sensor according to claim 1,

wherein the through hole includes a first edge facing the windshield and a second edge facing the light receiving element, and

wherein the entrance surface of the light guiding element is retracted behind the first edge of the through hole, and the output surface of the light guiding element is retracted behind the second edge of the through hole.

7. The light sensor according to claim 6,

wherein the entrance surface of the light guiding element is flat, and the output surface of the light guiding element is convex so that the output surface provides a convex lens, and

the convex lens has a focal point, at which the light receiving element is disposed.

8. The light sensor according to claim 7,

wherein the entrance surface of the light guiding element has a normal line, which is in parallel to a horizontal direction of the vehicle, and

wherein the light guiding element has a cylindrical shape with a center axis, which is equal to a normal line of the entrance surface.

9. The light sensor according to claim 7,

wherein the entrance surface of the light guiding element is inclined downward with respect to the horizontal direction of the vehicle, and

wherein the light guiding element has a cylindrical shape with a center axis, which is inclined with respect to a normal line of the entrance surface.

10. A light sensor for detecting brightness of an outside of a vehicle comprising:

a light guiding element disposed in a compartment of the vehicle; and

a light receiving element that receives light from an outside of the vehicle via the light guiding element,

wherein the light receiving element outputs a signal corresponding to an amount of the light,

wherein the light guiding element includes an entrance surface facing a windshield of the vehicle and an output surface facing the light receiving element,

wherein the entrance surface of the light guiding element receives the light from the outside of the vehicle via the windshield,

wherein the light guiding element transmits the light therethrough and outputs the light from the output surface of the light guiding element toward the light receiving element, and

wherein the entrance surface of the light guiding element has a normal line, which is in parallel to a horizontal direction of the vehicle, or inclined downward with respect to the horizontal direction of the vehicle.

11. The light sensor according to claim 10,

wherein the entrance surface of the light guiding element is flat.