Water drop detection sensor

• US 6,153,995 A
• Filed: 04/02/1999
• Issued: 11/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Niles Company Limited (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Company Limited (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Shuhei
• Primary Examiner(s): Masih, Karen
• Application Number:
  US09/285,459
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 318/483, 318/643, 318/480, 318/DIG. 2, 15/250.17, 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 307/10.8, 250/227.25
• US Class Current: 318/483
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/1423 Automatic dimming circuits, i.e. switching between high beam and low beam due to change of ambient light or light level in road traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/054 Variable non-standard intensity, i.e. emission of various beam intensities different from standard intensities, e.g. continuous or stepped transitions of intensity
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/314 Ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0822 characterized by the arrangement or type of detection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0837 with a particular arrangement of the optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0877 at least part of the sensor being positioned between layers of the windshield
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0881 characterized by the attachment means on the windshield
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0888 characterized by the attachment of the elements in a unit
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/552 Attenuated total reflection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 318/02 Windshield wiper controls

Abstract

A water drop detection sensor for detecting water drops W adhering to or present upon a windshield by detecting changes in an amount of reflection light and also for detecting the ambient brightness outside of a car or other vehicle, comprising: a windshield 2; a light emitting means 5 for introducing detection light into the windshield 2; and a light receiving means 6 for detecting reflected detection light. The reflected detection light is reflected by total internal reflection within the windshield 2, and the light emitting means 5 and said light receiving means 6 are provided on the windshield 2.

Claims

1. A water drop detection sensor for detecting plural water drops adhering to or present upon a substrate and also for detecting ambient brightness, comprising:

a light-permeable substrate including an intermediate layer therein;

light emitting means for introducing detection light into said light-permeable substrate; and

light receiving means for detecting reflected detection light, said reflected detection light being reflected by total internal reflection within said light-permeable substrate, and for detecting ambient light, wherein said light receiving means is provided on said light-permeable substrate, and a portion of said intermediate layer opposing to said light receiving means is formed with a reflection layer, in which layer is formed an opening for receiving the ambient light.

7. A water drop detection sensor as defined in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said light-permeable substrate is a windshield, and said water drop detection sensor detects an amount of water drops adhering onto said windshield to provide a control signal to a wiper driver portion, as well as detects an amount of ambient light to provide a control signal to a headlight driver portion.

8. A water drop detection sensor as defined in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said light-permeable substrate is a windshield, and said water drop detection sensor detects an amount of water drop adhering onto said windshield and an amount of the ambient light to provide a control signal to a wiper driver portion.

2. A water drop detection sensor for detecting plural water drops adhering to or present upon a substrate and also for detecting ambient brightness, comprising:

a light-permeable substrate;

light emitting means for introducing detection light into said light-permeable substrate;

light receiving means for detecting reflected detection light, said reflected detection light being reflected by total internal reflection within said light-permeable substrate; and

ambient light receiving means for detecting ambient light, wherein said light receiving means and said ambient light receiving means are provided on said light-permeable substrate.

3. A water drop detection sensor for detecting plural water drops adhering to or present upon a substrate and also for detecting ambient brightness, comprising:

a light-permeable substrate including an intermediate layer therein;

light emitting means for introducing detection light into said light-permeable substrate;

light receiving means for detecting reflected detection light, said reflected detection light being reflected by total internal reflection within said light-permeable substrate; and

ambient light receiving means for detecting ambient light, wherein said light receiving means and said ambient light receiving means are provided on said light-permeable substrate, and a portion of said intermediate layer opposing to said light receiving means is formed with a reflection layer, in which layer is formed an opening for receiving the ambient light.

4. A water drop detection sensor for detecting plural water drops adhering to or present upon a substrate and also for detecting ambient brightness, comprising:

a light-permeable substrate including an intermediate layer therein, on one surface of which the water drops adhere, and on the other surface of which is provided a non-pasted portion of black ceramic;

light emitting means for introducing detection light into said light-permeable substrate;

light receiving means for detecting reflected detection light, said reflected detection light being reflected by total internal reflection upon reflection point in the non-pasted portion of black ceramic within said light-permeable substrate; and

ambient light receiving means for detecting ambient light, wherein said ambient light receiving means is provided in said non-pasted portion of black ceramic through an air layer.

5. A water drop detection sensor for detecting plural water drops adhering to or present upon a substrate and also for detecting ambient brightness, comprising:

a light-permeable substrate including an intermediate layer therein, on one surface of which the water drops adhere, and on the other surface of which is provided a non-pasted portion of black ceramic;

light emitting means for introducing detection light into said light-permeable substrate;

light receiving means for detecting reflected detection light, said reflected detection light being reflected by total internal reflection upon reflection point in the non-pasted portion of black ceramic within said light-permeable substrate; and

ambient light receiving means for detecting ambient light, wherein said ambient light receiving means is provided in said non-pasted portion of black ceramic except the reflection point therein.

6. A water drop detection sensor for detecting plural water drops adhering to or present upon a substrate and also for detecting ambient brightness, comprising:

a light-permeable substrate including an intermediate layer therein, on one surface of which the water drops adhere;

light emitting means for introducing detection light into said light-permeable substrate;

light receiving means for detecting reflected detection light, said reflected detection light being reflected by total internal reflection within said light-permeable substrate; and

ambient light receiving means for detecting ambient light, wherein said light emitting means, said light receiving means, and said ambient light receiving means are provided on the other side of said light-permeable substrate, and a portion of said intermediate layer is formed with a reflection layer, located between said light emitting means and said light receiving means.

9. A water drop detection sensor for detecting plural water drops adhering to or present upon a substrate and also for transferring a water drop detection signal and other signals between other equipment through radio waves, comprising:

a light-permeable substrate;

light emitting means for introducing detection light into said light-permeable substrate;

light receiving means for detecting reflected detection light, said reflected detection light being reflected by total internal reflection within said light-permeable substrate;

a transmission antenna for transmitting the signals between the other equipment through radio waves; and

a signal processing portion for processing at least the water drop detection signal, wherein said light emitting means and said light receiving means are provided on said light-permeable substrate, and said transmission antenna and said signal processing portion are provided near said light emitting means and said light receiving means.

10. A water drop detection sensor for detecting plural water drops adhering to or present upon a substrate and also for transferring a water drop detection signal and other signals between other equipment through light waves, comprising:

a light-permeable substrate;

light emitting means for introducing detection light into said light-permeable substrate;

light receiving means for detecting reflected detection light, said reflected detection light being reflected by total internal reflection within said light-permeable substrate; and

a light transmission means for transmitting the signals between the other equipment through radio waves, wherein said light emitting means and said light receiving means are provided on said light-permeable substrate, and said light transmission means is provided near said light emitting means and said light receiving means.

11. A water drop detection sensor for detecting plural water drops adhering to or present upon a substrate and also for transferring a water drop detection signal and other signals between other equipment through sonic waves, comprising:

a light-permeable substrate;

light emitting means for introducing detection light into said light-permeable substrate;

light receiving means for detecting reflected detection light, said reflected detection light being reflected by total internal reflection within said light-permeable substrate; and

a sonic wave transmission means for transmitting the signals between the other equipment through sonic waves, wherein said light emitting means and said light receiving means are provided on said light-permeable substrate, and said sonic wave transmission means is provided near said light emitting means and said light receiving means.

12. A water drop detection sensor for detecting plural water drops adhering to or present upon a substrate and also for detecting sound when water drops fall onto or adhere onto said substrate, comprising:

a light-permeable substrate;

light emitting means for introducing detection light into said light-permeable substrate;

light receiving means for detecting reflected detection light, said reflected detection light being reflected by total internal reflection within said light-permeable substrate; and

water drop sound detecting means for detecting the sound of water drops falling on or adhering to said light-permeable substrate, wherein said light emitting means, said light receiving means, and said water drop sound detecting means are provided on said light-permeable substrate.