Glass temperature detecting system, window fog detecting system, air-conditioning system for vehicles, and window fog detecting method

• US 9,539,878 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakajima, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Elve, M. Alexandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Comings, Daniel C
• Application Number:
  US11/730,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20070235549A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,574 Days
• Field of Search: 621/25, 621/27, 621/28, 621/50, 621/761, 621/766, 622/39, 165/231, 165/233
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/0075 the input being solar radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00785 by the detection of humidity or frost
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00792 Arrangement of detectors B60H1/00742, B60H1/0075, B60H1/00785 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00864 Ventilators and damper doors
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3241 of air
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3245 of air
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3255 related to temperature

Abstract

A window fog detecting system for detecting fog on a windshield of a vehicle, including: a glass temperature detecting system including a contact temperature sensor attached to a portion of the windshield on the driver'"'"'s seat side of the center in a width direction of the windshield, or to a portion where ceramic print is applied on the upper-side periphery of the windshield; a humidity detection device which detects the humidity of air in a vicinity of the inner surface of the windshield; and a judging device which judges the presence of fog on the windshield, on the basis of the detected values of the glass temperature detecting system and the detected values of the humidity detection device.

Claims

1. A glass temperature detecting system for detecting a temperature of an inner surface of a windshield of a vehicle, the glass temperature detecting system comprising:

a contact temperature sensor attached to a printed portion on an upper-side periphery of the windshield on a driver'"'"'s seat side of a center in a width direction of the windshield, wherein ceramic print is applied to the printed portion where the contact temperature sensor is attached;

a solar radiation sensor arranged to detect an amount of solar radiation; and

a first correction section that corrects a detected value of the contact temperature sensor for a difference in temperature between the printed portion where the ceramic print is applied and a non-printed portion where the ceramic print is not applied, to obtain a corrected detected value representing a temperature of an inner surface of the non-printed portion, wherein the first correction section comprises;

a first correction value calculator that determines a correction value as a function of the amount of solar radiation detected by the solar radiation sensor; and

a first adder that adds the correction value determined by the first correction value calculator to the detected value of the contact temperature sensor to obtain the corrected detected value.

2. A window fog detecting system for detecting fog on a windshield of a vehicle, comprising:

the glass temperature detecting system according to claim 1;

a humidity detection device which detects a humidity of air in a vicinity of the inner surface of the windshield as a detected value; and

a judging device which judges a presence of fog on the windshield, on a basis of the corrected detected value of the glass temperature detecting system and the detected value of the humidity detection device.

3. An air-conditioning system for a vehicle comprising:

the window fog detecting system according to claim 2;

a defogging device which defogs the windshield by using conditioned air blown out from a defroster outlet port; and

a control device which controls the defogging device according to a detection result of the window fog detecting system.

4. A glass temperature detecting system according to claim 1, wherein the contact temperature sensor is entirely placed on the driver'"'"'s seat side of the center in the width direction of the windshield.

5. A glass temperature detecting system according to claim 1, wherein no portion of the contact temperature sensor is not placed on the driver'"'"'s seat side of the center in the width direction of the windshield.

6. A glass temperature detecting system for detecting a temperature of an inner surface of a windshield of a vehicle, the glass temperature detecting system comprising:

a contact temperature sensor attached to a printed portion on an upper-side periphery of the windshield on a driver'"'"'s seat side of a center in a width direction of the windshield, wherein ceramic print is applied to the printed portion where the contact temperature sensor is attached;

a flow rate sensor arranged to detect a flow rate of air blown out from a defroster outlet port;

an outlet air temperature sensor arranged to detect an outlet air temperature of air blown out from the defroster outlet port; and

a correction section which corrects a detected value of the contact temperature sensor to obtain a corrected detected value representing the temperature of the inner surface of the windshield, wherein the correction section comprises;

a correction value calculator that determines a correction value as a function of the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor and the outlet air temperature detected by the outlet air temperature sensor; and

an adder that adds the correction value determined by the correction value calculator to the detected value of the contact temperature sensor to obtain the corrected detected value.

7. A glass temperature detecting system for detecting a temperature of an inner surface of a windshield of a vehicle, the glass temperature detecting system comprising:

a contact temperature sensor attached to a printed portion, where ceramic print is applied, on an upper-side periphery of the windshield, such that the contact temperature sensor is in direct contact with an inner surface of the ceramic print;

a solar radiation sensor arranged to detect an amount of solar radiation; and

a first correction section that corrects a detected value of the contact temperature sensor for a difference in temperature between the printed portion where the ceramic print is applied and a non-printed portion where the ceramic print is not applied, to obtain a corrected detected value representing a temperature of an inner surface of the non-printed portion, wherein the first correction section comprises;

a first correction value calculator that determines a correction value as a function of the amount of solar radiation detected by the solar radiation sensor; and

a first adder that adds the correction value determined by the first correction value calculator to the detected value of the contact temperature sensor to obtain the corrected detected value.

8. A glass temperature detecting system according to claim 7, wherein the contact temperature sensor is entirely placed on the driver'"'"'s seat side of the center in the width direction of the windshield.

9. A glass temperature detecting system according to claim 7, wherein no portion of the contact temperature sensor is not placed on the driver'"'"'s seat side of the center in the width direction of the windshield.

11. A window fog detecting system for detecting fog on a windshield of a vehicle, the window fog detecting system comprising:

the glass temperature detecting system according to claim 7;

a humidity detection device which detects a humidity of air in a vicinity of the inner surface of the windshield as a detected value; and

a judging device which judges a presence of fog on the windshield, on a basis of the corrected detected value of the glass temperature detecting system and the detected value of the humidity detection device.

12. An air-conditioning system for a vehicle comprising:

the window fog detecting system according to claim 11;

a defogging device which defogs the windshield by using conditioned air blown out from a defroster outlet port; and

a control device which controls the defogging device according to a detection result of the window fog detecting system.

10. A glass temperature detecting system for detecting a temperature of an inner surface of a windshield of a vehicle, the glass temperature detecting system comprising:

a contact temperature sensor attached to a printed portion, where ceramic print is applied, on an upper-side periphery of the windshield, such that the contact temperature sensor is in direct contact with an inner surface of the ceramic print;

a flow rate sensor arranged to detect a flow rate of air blown out from a defroster outlet port;

an outlet air temperature sensor arranged to detect an outlet air temperature of air blown out from the defroster outlet port; and

a correction section which corrects a detected value of the contact temperature sensor to obtain a corrected detected value representing the temperature of the inner surface of the windshield, wherein the correction section comprises;

a correction value calculator that determines a correction value as a function of the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor and the outlet air temperature detected by the outlet air temperature sensor; and

an adder that adds the correction value determined by the correction value calculator to the detected value of the contact temperature sensor to obtain the corrected detected value.

13. A window fog detecting method of detecting fog on a windshield of a vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting a temperature of an inner surface of the windshield with any one of;

a contact temperature sensor attached to a printed portion on an upper-side periphery of the windshield on a driver'"'"'s seat side of a center in a width direction of the windshield, wherein ceramic print is applied to the printed portion where the contact temperature sensor is attached, and

a contact temperature sensor attached to a printed portion, where ceramic print is applied, on an upper-side periphery of the windshield, such that the contact temperature sensor is in direct contact with an inner surface of the ceramic print;

detecting a humidity of air in a vicinity of the inner surface of the windshield with a humidity detection device;

detecting a temperature of air in the vicinity of the inner surface of the windshield with an air temperature sensor;

detecting an amount of solar radiation with a solar radiation sensor;

correcting, with a first correction section, a detected value of the contact temperature sensor, for a difference in temperature between the printed portion where the ceramic print is applied and a non-printed portion where the ceramic print is not applied to obtain a corrected detected value representing a temperature of an inner surface of the non-printed portion, wherein correcting the detected value of the contact temperature sensor comprises;

determining a correction value as a function of the amount of solar radiation detected by the solar radiation sensor with a first correction value calculator; and

adding the correction value determined by the first correction value calculator to the detected value of the contact temperature sensor to obtain the corrected detected value with a first adder; and

judging, with a judging device, a presence of fog on the windshield, on a basis of the corrected detected value of the inner surface of the windshield, and a detected temperature and humidity of air in a vicinity of the inner surface of the windshield.