Solar radiation sensor
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a vehicle with a passenger compartment, said compartment including an air conditioner, said air conditioner being adjustable to varying the conditioning of the air provided within said compartment;
a controller for adjusting said air conditioner; and
a radiation sensor, said sensor including a channeled member, a diffuser, and at least four photodiodes, said channeled member defining at least four parallel channels for transmission of radiation, each said channel having two open ends and being enclosed between the two ends, one end receiving radiation from said diffuser, each said photodiode being exposed to radiation from the other end of a single said channel and producing a signal in response thereto;
wherein said controller adjusts said air conditioner in response to said signals.
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Abstract
A sensor (50) for determining the magnitude and intensity of solar radiation. The apparatus includes a diffuser (2) which provides radiation through channels (60a, 60b, 60c, 60d) within an elongated channeled member (5) onto photodiodes (54a, 54b, 54c, 54d). Each photodiode (54a, 54b, 54c, 54d) is optically isolated from other photodiodes. The diffuser (2) is arranged and constructed so as to receive radiation within 360 degrees of the surrounding environment.
75 Citations
29 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a vehicle with a passenger compartment, said compartment including an air conditioner, said air conditioner being adjustable to varying the conditioning of the air provided within said compartment;
a controller for adjusting said air conditioner; and
a radiation sensor, said sensor including a channeled member, a diffuser, and at least four photodiodes, said channeled member defining at least four parallel channels for transmission of radiation, each said channel having two open ends and being enclosed between the two ends, one end receiving radiation from said diffuser, each said photodiode being exposed to radiation from the other end of a single said channel and producing a signal in response thereto;
wherein said controller adjusts said air conditioner in response to said signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus comprising:
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a channeled member defining at least four channels, each said channel being substantially parallel with each other said channel, each said channel having two open ends and being enclosed between the two ends, said channeled member having a top and a bottom;
a diffuser mounted proximate to the top of said channeled member, said diffuser being optically coupled to one end of said channels;
a plurality of photodiodes mounted proximate to the bottom of said channeled member, each said photodiode being optically coupled to the other end of a different one of said channels. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus comprising:
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a channeled member defining at least four channels, said channeled member having a top and a bottom, each said channel having first and second open ends;
a diffuser mounted proximate to the top of said channeled member, said diffuser having a facet for each one of said at least four channels, each said facet providing radiation to the first end of a different one of said channels, the radiation being transmitted within said channel; and
a plurality of photodiodes mounted proximate to the bottom of said channeled member, each said photodiode receiving radiation from the second end of a different one of said channels. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An apparatus for determining the position of the sun, comprising:
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a channeled member defining at least four channels, each said channel being substantially parallel to each other said channel, each said channel having first and second open ends and being enclosed therebetween;
a diffuser mounted proximate to the first open end of each said channel, said diffuser providing radiation from the sun to each said channel; and
at least four photodiodes, each said photodiode being mounted proximate to the second open end of a different one of said channels, each said photodiode receiving radiation from the sun from the one of said channels. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification