SENSOR FOR DETECTING DIRT AND/OR RAIN AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A SENSOR

• US 20100155584A1
• Filed: 12/18/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Original Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Inventors: Mack, Bernd
• Application Number:
  US12/642,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20100155584A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/227.250
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0837 with a particular arrangement of the optical elements
• 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 21/94 Investigating contamination, e.g. dust G01N21/85 takes precedence

Abstract

A sensor detects dirt and/or rain having a transmitter unit (12, 112) and at least one receiver unit (16, 116) as well as a test surface (22, 122), an accumulation (30, 32) on the test surface (22, 122) being detectable by a light beam (24, 26; 124, 126), which is emitted by the transmitter unit (12, 112) and absorbed by the receiver unit (16, 116). The transmitter unit (12, 112) has at least two transmitters (114), at least one of which comprises two or more locally closely adjacent transmission sources (114a, 114b, 114c, 114d), one receiver (18, 118) of the receiver unit (16, 116) being associated with each transmitter (114). The receiver (18, 118) have one or more individual receivers, at least one of the transmitters (114) being implemented for the purpose of emitting at least two different wavelengths, which are detectable by the associated receiver (18, 118).

Claims

1. A sensor for detecting dirt and/or rain having at least one transmitter unit (12, 112) and at least one receiver unit (16, 116) as well as a test surface (22, 122), an accumulation (30, 32) on the test surface (22, 122) being detectable by a light beam (24, 26;

124, 126), which is emitted by the transmitter unit (12, 112) and absorbed by the receiver unit (16, 116), characterized in that

the transmitter unit (12, 112) includes a plurality of transmitters (14, 114), said plurality of transmitters including a plurality of transmission sources (114a, 114b, 114c, 114d) disposed adjacent each other,

said receiver unit (16, 116) including a receiver (18, 118) associated with each of said plurality of transmitters (14, 114),

wherein one of said plurality of transmitters (14, 114) emits at least two different wavelengths, which are detectable by its associated receiver (18, 118).

2. The sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one transmitter (14, 114) comprises at least two transmission sources (114a, 114b, 114c, 114d) having different wavelengths.

3. The sensor according to claim 2, characterized in that the transmission sources (114a, 114b, 114c, 114d) of the at least one transmitter (14, 114) are so closely adjacent that their radiation can be received by the particular receiver (18, 118) associated with the transmitter (14, 114).

14. A method for operating a sensor (10, 100) for detecting dirt and/or rain having at least one transmitter unit (12, 112) and at least one receiver unit (16, 116) as well as a test surface (22, 122), an accumulation (30, 32) on the test surface (22, 122) being detected by a light beam (24, 26;

124, 126) which is emitted by the transmitter unit (12, 112) and absorbed by the receiver unit (16, 116), in particular according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a signal received by a receiver (18, 118) of the receiver unit (16, 116) is analyzed as a function of its wavelength from one or more transmitters (14, 114) and/or its geometrical origin location from multiple associated transmission sources (114a, 114b, 114c, 114d) of a transmitter (14, 114) of the transmitter unit (12, 112) and at least two transmission sources (114a, 114b, 114c, 114d) of a transmitter (14, 114) of the transmitter unit (12, 122), with which the receivers (18, 118) of the receiver unit (16, 116) are jointly associated, are activated.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that a transmitter (14, 114) of the transmitter unit (12, 112) outputs a polychromatic signal.

16. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that a variation of the received signal is studied as a function of the wavelength and/or the geometrical location of the transmitter (114) and/or the transmission sources (114a, 114b, 114c, 114d).

17. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that normally only one transmission source (114a) is operated per transmitter (14, 114) and the further transmission sources (114b, 114c, 114d) of the transmitter (14, 114) are only turned on as needed if an irregular measured value is detected.

18. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that normally only one individual receiver is operated per receiver (18, 118) and the further individual receivers of the receiver (18, 118) are only turned on as needed if an irregular measured value is detected.

19. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that if a critical value of the variation of the received signal is exceeded, the presence of water as an accumulation (32) is recognized.

20. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that if the variation of the received signal falls below a critical value, the presence of dirt as an accumulation (30) is recognized.

21. A use of a sensor (10, 100) according to claim 1 in a system for luminosity regulation of vehicle lights.

4. A sensor for detecting dirt and/or rain having at least one transmitter unit (12, 112) and at least one receiver unit (16, 116) as well as a test surface (22, 122), an accumulation (30, 32) on the test surface (22, 122) being detectable by a light beam (24, 26;

124, 126), which is emitted by the transmitter unit (12, 112) and absorbed by the receiver unit (16, 116), characterized in that

the transmitter unit (12, 112) has at least two transmitters (14, 114), at least one of which comprises two or more locally closely adjacent transmission sources (114a, 114b, 114c, 114d),

a receiver (18, 118) of the receiver unit (16, 116) is associated with each transmitter (14, 114), and

the receiver (18, 118) has one or more individual receivers.

5. The sensor according to claim 4, characterized in that the light beams (24, 124) emitted by the transmitters (14, 114) have different wavelengths.

6. The sensor according to claim 4, characterized by a design as a transmitted light sensor having a curved test surface (122).

7. The sensor according to claim 4, characterized by a design as a reflection sensor having a planar test surface (22).

8. The sensor according to claim 4, characterized in that an analysis unit (150) is provided in order to analyze a wavelength-dependent intensity variation and/or a location-dependent intensity variation of the received light beams (26, 126).

9. The sensor according to claim 4, characterized in that the transmitter unit (12, 112) comprises light-emitting diodes as transmitters (14, 114) and transmission sources (114a, 114b, 114c, 114d).

10. The sensor according to claim 4, characterized in that the one or more individual receivers of a receiver (18, 118) of the receiver unit (16, 116) can be chronologically synchronized with the associated transmitters (14, 114) of the transmitter unit (12, 112).

11. The sensor according to claim 4, characterized in that the transmitter unit (12, 112) comprises at least one broadband transmitter (14, 114).

12. The sensor according to claim 11, characterized in that means are associated with the one or more individual receivers, using which the light is detectable independently of wavelength.

13. The sensor according to one of claims 12, characterized in that the light can be spectrally analyzed by the one or more individual receivers.