Optical sensor device

• US 8,082,783 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2009
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Backes, Ulrich
• Primary Examiner(s): ALLEN, ANDRE J
• Application Number:
  US12/620,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20100147067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 73/170.17
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0837 with a particular arrangement of the optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/552 Attenuated total reflection

Abstract

An optical sensor device that can be used as a rain sensor has a light emitter, a light receiver, and an optical plate with rotationally symmetrically shaped Fresnel prism structures, which is coupled to a pane, in particular a windshield of a vehicle, by means of a coupling layer. On its opposite side, the optical plate takes up light from the light emitter. The light is coupled into the pane and, after a total reflection on an internal surface of the pane, is directed onto the light receiver.

Claims

1. An optical sensor device comprising

at least one light emitter,

at least one light receiver, and

an optical plate that includes rotationally symmetrically shaped Fresnel prism structures which are adapted to be coupled on a first side to a windshield pane of a vehicle, and which on a second, opposite side are configured to take up light from the light emitter, couple the light taken up from the light emitter into the pane and, after a total reflection on an internal surface of the pane, direct said light onto the light receiver.

2. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the Fresnel prism structures have a profile defined by rotation of a saw-tooth curve about an axis.

3. The sensor device according to claim 2, wherein the teeth of the saw-tooth curve are symmetrical in shape.

4. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the light from the light emitter impinges on the Fresnel prism structures as parallel light and is directed onto the light receiver as parallel light.

5. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the Fresnel prism structures are detachably coupled to the pane by a coupling layer which is made of a transparent elastic medium and is shaped on its surface facing the Fresnel prism structures to be complementary to the Fresnel prism structure and on its opposite surface engages the pane.

6. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the Fresnel prism structures are coupled to the pane by a coupling layer made of a transparent rigid medium.

7. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the Fresnel prism structures include a central portion on which the light from the light emitter impinges as a parallel light beam which is split up by the prism structures into two separate coronas that overlap on the pane, and a ring-shaped outer portion that surrounds the central portion and deflects the beams totally reflected on the pane onto the light receiver as parallel light.

8. The sensor device according to claim 7, wherein the individual rays of the two coronas are inclined at an angle of approximately 45 degrees in relation to the surface of the pane.

9. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the Fresnel prism structures include an outer portion on which the light from the light emitter impinges as a parallel light beam, and a central portion that deflects the beams totally reflected on the pane onto the light receiver as parallel light.

10. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the Fresnel prism structures are formed on one surface of an optical plate made of a transparent material, the opposite surface having lens structures formed thereon which reshape light from a point-shaped light emitter into parallel light and focus parallel light of the beams totally reflected on the pane on the point-shaped light receiver.

11. The sensor device according to claim 10, wherein the lens structures are at least partly Fresnel structures.

12. The sensor device according to claim 10, wherein the light emitter and the light receiver are arranged side by side adjacent to each other.

13. The sensor device according to claim 10, wherein a centrally arranged light emitter is surrounded by a plurality of light receivers.

14. The sensor device according to claim 10, wherein bayonet-type fastening means for an inside mirror are fitted to the outer periphery of the optical plate.

15. The sensor device according to claim 10, wherein the optical plate has a plurality of optical systems formed therein having Fresnel structures for a plurality of sensor units.

16. A rain and light sensor comprising a sensor device according to claim 15.

17. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the Fresnel prism structure faces the windshield pane.

18. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the light from the emitter impinges the Fresnel prism structure as parallel light and is split by the Fresnel prism structure into two separate coronas that overlap on the pane.