Method and sensor for detecting occurrences of wetting on a pane

• US 7,721,598 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2008
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Backes, Ulrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Caputo; Lisa M
• Assistant Examiner(s): JENKINS, JERMAINE L
• Application Number:
  US12/156,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20080307878A1
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 73/170.17
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0818 including control systems responsive to external conditions, e.g. by detection of moisture, dirt or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/435 Sensing drops on the contact surface
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/552 Attenuated total reflection

Abstract

The method operates with successive, continuously repeated measuring cycles. In a first cycle section, a measuring capacitor is charged up to a first threshold value by the current flowing in a light receiver of a first optical measuring section. In a subsequent, second cycle section the measuring capacitor is discharged to a second threshold value by the current flowing in a light receiver of a second optical measuring section. The light transmitters of the optical measuring sections are regulated over several measuring cycles to predetermined rated values for the charging time and the discharging time. A wetting of the pane is concluded from the momentary deviations between the rated values and the actually measured values of the charging times and discharging times. The available modulation range is adapted dynamically to the prevailing conditions by the systematic control of the intensity of the light transmitters in the two optical measuring sections. In addition, the upper limit of the modulation range is extended to higher values of the ambient light.

Claims

1. A method for detecting occurrences of wetting on a pane, particularly the windscreen of a vehicle, in which in successive, continuously repeated measuring cycles:

a) in a first cycle section, a current flowing in a light receiver of a first optical measuring section is integrated up to a first threshold value;

b) in a second cycle section, a current flowing in a light receiver of a second optical measuring section is integrated to a second threshold value;

c) the optical measuring sections have light emitters which are closed-loop regulated over a plurality of measuring cycles to obtain predetermined rated values of the integration times; and

d) detecting a wetting of the pane based on momentary deviations between the rated values and actually measured values of the integration times.

2. The method according to claim 1, in which at the start of a measuring process an initialization is carried out, in which the light transmitters are set to an initial value of light intensity.

3. The method according to claim 2, in which the integration takes place by charging and discharging a measuring capacitor, which is charged on initialization to one of the threshold values.

4. The method according to claim 1, in which a pause is included between successive cycle sections.

5. A sensor for detecting occurrences of wetting on a pane, particularly the windscreen of a vehicle, with

two optical measuring sections which are adapted to be coupled to the pane, each of which has a controllable light transmitter (LED1, LED2) and a light receiver (P1, P2);

a current/voltage transformer (C1);

a comparator (COMP), which has a first input (+) connected with the current/voltage transformer, and a second input (−

) to which one out of two threshold values (INTHIGH, INTLOW) is applied selectively by means of a change-over switch (SW4); and

a control circuit (CONTROL), which controls the light transmitters (LED1, LED2) alternately and connects the current/voltage transformer (C1) selectively with the light receivers (P2, P2) by means of a controllable switch (SW1);

in which the control circuit (CONTROL) controls a sequence of successive, continuously repeated measuring cycles;

a) in a first cycle section (t0-t2) the current/voltage transformer (C1) integrates a current flowing in the light receiver (P1) of the first optical measuring section up to the first threshold value (INTHIGH);

b) in a second cycle section the current/voltage transformer (C1) integrates a current flowing in the light receiver (P2) of the second optical measuring section to the second threshold value (INTLOW);

c) the light transmitters (LED1, LED2) of the optical measuring sections are closed-loop regulated over a plurality of measuring cycles to obtain predetermined rated values of the integration times; and

d) wetting of the pane is detected based on momentary deviations between the rated values and actually measured values of the integration times.

6. The sensor according to claim 5, in which the light receivers (P1, P2) of the optical measuring sections are connected symmetrically in series between two fixed voltage potentials.

7. The sensor according to claim 6, in which the measuring capacitor is adapted to be connected with the interconnection node of the light receivers (P1, P2) by means of the controllable switch (SW1).

8. The sensor according to claim 5, in which the light transmitters (LED1, LED2) are each arranged in series with a controllable current source (CUR1, CUR2).

9. The sensor according to claim 5, in which the change-over switch is controlled by the output signal (STATUS) of the comparator (COMP).

10. The sensor according to claim 5, in which the current/voltage transformer is formed by a measuring capacitor (C1) which can be charged to one of the threshold values (INTHIGH, INTLOW) by means of a switch (SW5, SW6) which is able to be controlled by the control circuit (CONTROL).