Sunlight sensor that detects a distrubition and amount of thermal load

• US 5,602,384 A
• Filed: 09/20/1994
• Issued: 02/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamada, Manabu, Maeda, Yutaka, Akimoto, Katsuhide, Shirai, Makoto, Fukutani, Masanori, Nunogaki, Naochika, Nakamura, Masaya
• Primary Examiner(s): ALLEN, STEPHONE B
• Application Number:
  US08/256,298
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 250/203.4, 250/203.3, 126/578, 126/573, 257/431, 257/432, 257/434, 257/435, 257/459
• US Class Current: 250/203.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/0075 the input being solar radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0209 Monolithic
• 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 1/0437 using masks, aperture plates, spatial light modulators, spatial filters, e.g. reflective filters
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/4228 arrangements with two or more detectors, e.g. for sensitivity compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2001/4266 for measuring solar light
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02024 Position sensitive and lateral effect photodetectors; Quadrant photodiodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0203 Containers; Encapsulations , e.g. encapsulation of photodiodesfor photovoltaic devices H01L31/048; for organic photosensitive devices H10K30/80
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02164 for shielding light, e.g. light blocking layers, cold shields for infrared detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02325 the optical elements not being integrated nor being directly associated with the device

Abstract

A sunlight sensor for use in control of vehicle air conditioners, and provides which detects the sunlight thermal load. A light-cutoff film is formed on the upper surface of the transparent substrate (intermediate element) of the light-sensing element, and at the center of this light-cutoff film is formed a light-guiding hole. Left and right light-detection sections and are formed on the lower surface of the transparent substrate.

Claims

1. A sunlight sensor comprising:

light-cutoff means that selectively transmits sunlight;

light-detection means having a plurality of planar shaped light-detection sections positioned in a same plane; and

an intermediate element between said light-detection sections and said light-cutoff means, said intermediate element passes sunlight selectively transmitted by said light-cutoff means, and

detecting means for detecting both the distribution and total amount of thermal load present in an environment in which said sensor is located in accordance with outputs of said plurality of light-detection sections, wherein said light-detection sections are shaped and positioned relative to said light-cutoff means such that an output of said light-detection means is directly proportional to said thermal load.

2. A sunlight sensor according to claim 1, wherein said light-cutoff means has a light-guiding hole defined therein which selectively transmits said sunlight.

3. A sunlight sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a refracting means positioned such that said sunlight passes through said refracting means before reaching said light-cutoff means.

4. A sunlight sensor according to claim 3, wherein said refracting means is one of a prism and a transparent resin.

5. A sunlight sensor according to claim 1, wherein said intermediate element is one of glass and a transparent resin.

6. A sunlight sensor according to claim 1, wherein said intermediate element supports said light-cutoff means and said light-detection section as a single unit.

7. A sunlight sensor according to claim 1, wherein said intermediate element is a transparent substrate comprising mutually opposing flat planes, and wherein said light-cutoff means is provided on one of said planes of said substrate, and a surface area light-detection section being provided on another of said planes of said substrate.

8. A sunlight sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a control circuit which performs air conditioning control of an air conditioner based on a signal output by said light-detection section.

9. A sunlight sensor according to claim 1, wherein said light-detecting sections are further shaped and positioned such that an illuminated area is greatest when said thermal load is the greatest.

10. A sunlight sensor according to claim 1, wherein said light-detecting sections are provided so that an illuminated area satisfies the following equation, ##EQU4##

11. A sunlight sensor comprising:

light-cutoff means provided with an aperture; and

a light-detection section which outputs a detection signal in accordance with the amount of received sunlight, configured so that the total amount of surface area of said light-detection section onto which said sunlight which passes through said aperture is varied in accordance with the direction of incidence of said sunlight and so that a portion of said light-detection section is always shaded by said light-cutoff means regardless of an angle of said sunlight relative to said sunlight sensor.

12. A sunlight sensor according to claim 11, wherein said light-cutoff means has a light-guiding hole defined therein through which said sunlight is selectively transmitted.

13. A sunlight sensor according to claim 12, wherein said light detection section is positioned relative to said light-guiding hole such that a portion of said light detection section is shaded from said sunlight by said light-cutoff means when said sunlight is incident upon said sensor in a direction perpendicular to said light-detection section.

14. A sunlight sensor according to claim 11, wherein said sunlight, after passing through said refracting means, is selected by said light-cutoff means.

15. A sunlight sensor according to claim 14, wherein said refracting means is one of a prism and a lens.

16. A sunlight sensor according to claim 11, further comprising an intermediate element positioned between said light-cutoff means and said light-detection section.

17. A sunlight sensor according to claim 16, wherein said intermediate element is one of glass and a transparent resin.

18. A sunlight sensor according to claim 16, wherein said intermediate element supports said light-cutoff means and said light-detection section as a single unit.

19. A sunlight sensor according to claim 16, wherein said intermediate element is a transparent substrate comprising mutually opposing flat planes, and wherein said light-cutoff means is provided on one of said planes of said substrate, and a surface area light-detection section being provided on another of said planes of said substrate.

20. A sunlight sensor according to claim 11, further comprising a control circuit which performs air conditioning control of an air conditioner based on a signal output by said light-detection section.

21. A sunlight sensor according to claim 11, wherein said light-detection section is inclined toward said sunlight.

22. A sunlight sensor according to claim 11, wherein said sunlight sensor is inclined toward said sunlight.

23. A sunlight sensor according to claim 22, wherein a pattern of said detecting sections is provided so that an illuminated area is the greatest when the thermal load is the greatest.

24. A sunlight sensor according to claim 22, wherein a pattern of said detecting sections is provided so that an illuminated area is decided so as to satisfy the following equation, ##EQU5##

25. A sunlight sensor comprising:

light-cutoff means capable of transmitting selected sunlight only; and

light-detection section which outputs a signal responsive to a thermal load of an environment in which said sensor is mounted by causing the total area of said light-detection section illuminated by said sunlight which passes through said light-cutoff means to vary a direction of incidence of said sunlight varies, said signal being directly proportional to said thermal load.

26. A sunlight sensor comprising:

light-cutoff means provided with an aperture; and

a light-detection section which outputs a light-detection signal responsive to the overall amount of light received thereby, said light-cutoff means and said light-detection section being shaped and positioned with respect to one another such that within a given range of sunlight elevation angle, as said elevation angle of said sunlight increases, an overall region of said light-detection section illuminated is reduced, so that said detection signal of said light-detection section is varied.

27. A sunlight sensor according to claim 26, further comprising an intermediate element positioned between said light-cutoff means and said light-detection section.

28. A sunlight sensor located inside vehicle compartment, comprising:

light-cutoff means having an aperture defined therein; and

light-detection means which outputs a detection signal representative of an amount of heat received inside said compartment, said amount of heat being determined based only on an overall region of said light detection means illuminated by said sunlight selected by said light-cutoff means.

29. A sunlight sensor according to claim 28, wherein said light detection means comprises a plurality of said light-detection sections, said sections outputting a detection signal directly representative of an amount of heat received in a given region in said compartment.

30. A sunlight sensor comprising:

light-cutoff means having an aperture;

a light-detection section provided on a side of said light-cutoff means opposite from a side of sunlight incidence, which outputs a signal representative of a total amount of received heat in an environment associated with said sensor, said signal having a direct correlation to said total amount of received heat; and

a sunlight direction changing means which causes said sunlight passing through said aperture to strike said light-detection section.

31. A sunlight sensor according to claim 30, further comprising an intermediatel element disposed between said light-detection section and said sunlight direction changing means, said intermediate element transmitting said sunlight which has had its direction changed by said sunlight direction changing means, said intermediate element being coupled to said light-cutoff means, said light-detection section, and said sunlight direction changing means.

32. A sunlight sensor comprising:

a semiconductor light-detection element which outputs a detection signal representative of an overall amount of light received thereby and which is directly proportional to a thermal load of an environment in which said sensor in located;

an insulating layer having optical transmissivity and disposed on said semiconductor light-detection element;

light-cutoff means disposed on said insulating layer and which transmits selected sunlight; and

an amplifier circuit which is formed as one with said semiconductor light-detection element and amplifies said detection signal output by said semiconductor light-detection element.

33. A sunlight sensor comprising:

first light-cutoff means that selectively transmits sunlight;

a light detection section which outputs a detection signal responsive to an overall amount of received sunlight; and

second light-cutoff means located between said first light-cutoff means and said light-detection section, the light-detection section, first and second cut-off means being shaped and positioned relative to one another so that the overall amount of surface area of said light detection section illuminated by said sunlight which is transmitted by said first light-cutoff means changes as an elevation of said sunlight changes so that a detection signal is output by said light detection section which is directly proportional to a thermal load of the environment in which said sensor is located.