EP1425203A1 - Optical sensor for detecting moisture on a surface - Google Patents
Optical sensor for detecting moisture on a surfaceInfo
- Publication number
- EP1425203A1 EP1425203A1 EP02750823A EP02750823A EP1425203A1 EP 1425203 A1 EP1425203 A1 EP 1425203A1 EP 02750823 A EP02750823 A EP 02750823A EP 02750823 A EP02750823 A EP 02750823A EP 1425203 A1 EP1425203 A1 EP 1425203A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- optical sensor
- sensor according
- receiver
- sensing areas
- transmitter
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Ceased
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60S—SERVICING, CLEANING, REPAIRING, SUPPORTING, LIFTING, OR MANOEUVRING OF VEHICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60S1/00—Cleaning of vehicles
- B60S1/02—Cleaning windscreens, windows or optical devices
- B60S1/04—Wipers or the like, e.g. scrapers
- B60S1/06—Wipers or the like, e.g. scrapers characterised by the drive
- B60S1/08—Wipers or the like, e.g. scrapers characterised by the drive electrically driven
- B60S1/0818—Wipers or the like, e.g. scrapers characterised by the drive electrically driven including control systems responsive to external conditions, e.g. by detection of moisture, dirt or the like
- B60S1/0822—Wipers or the like, e.g. scrapers characterised by the drive electrically driven including control systems responsive to external conditions, e.g. by detection of moisture, dirt or the like characterized by the arrangement or type of detection means
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60S—SERVICING, CLEANING, REPAIRING, SUPPORTING, LIFTING, OR MANOEUVRING OF VEHICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60S1/00—Cleaning of vehicles
- B60S1/02—Cleaning windscreens, windows or optical devices
- B60S1/04—Wipers or the like, e.g. scrapers
- B60S1/06—Wipers or the like, e.g. scrapers characterised by the drive
- B60S1/08—Wipers or the like, e.g. scrapers characterised by the drive electrically driven
- B60S1/0818—Wipers or the like, e.g. scrapers characterised by the drive electrically driven including control systems responsive to external conditions, e.g. by detection of moisture, dirt or the like
- B60S1/0822—Wipers or the like, e.g. scrapers characterised by the drive electrically driven including control systems responsive to external conditions, e.g. by detection of moisture, dirt or the like characterized by the arrangement or type of detection means
- B60S1/0833—Optical rain sensor
- B60S1/0837—Optical rain sensor with a particular arrangement of the optical elements
Definitions
- an optical sensor for detecting the wetting of a surface in particular a motor vehicle window, with a transmitter and a receiver for electromagnetic waves is known, the surface being located in a sensing area between the transmitter and the receiver that the formation of wetting on the surface causes a change in the signal detected by the receiver. Furthermore, the optical sensor there has a light-guiding element with which the electromagnetic waves are guided bidirectionally into the sensing area or are derived from the sensing area. Finally, it is known from DE 199 43 887 AI to arrange a retroreflector, in particular a holographic retroreflector, in such a way that it leads the electromagnetic waves reflected from the surface back to the surface and from there to the light-guiding element.
- the optical sensor characterized in this way can be used, in particular, as a rain sensor, with the coupled light being totally reflected on the outside of the pane when the pane is dry, while the total reflection is interrupted when the pane is wet, which causes the detected signal change.
- a rain sensor in which a holographic film is arranged between the sensor and the receiver, is known from EP 0 999 104 A2.
- the optical sensor according to the invention has the advantage over the prior art that it has a larger sensitive area. This makes it possible, while miniaturizing the evaluation electronics and the other electronic components, for example of the transmitter and receiver, to increase the sensitivity of the sensor and to lower the response threshold.
- the optical sensor according to the invention also makes it possible to classify the rain intensity, so that the sensor signal can be used not only to switch a windshield wiper of a motor vehicle on or off, but also, for example, to control the wiper frequency or the length of the intervals between individual wiping processes.
- optical sensor according to the invention Another advantage of the optical sensor according to the invention is that the plurality of sensing areas provided means that it continues to function even if one of these sensing areas fails, i.e. overall, it is more reliable and less susceptible to faults or has a redundant function in this regard.
- the plurality of sensing areas provided achieves an overall more favorable arrangement of the retro-reflectors relative to the central area or the electronic components connected to the central area, which leads to an overall better utilization of the available, in the case of motor vehicle windows, ben leads to the smallest possible surface of the body for reasons of an undesirable impairment of the driver's vision.
- the at least one transmitter and the at least one receiver are located in the central area.
- the central area can advantageously be further reduced in terms of the required area by the transmitter and / or receiver being accommodated outside the central area in a separate component.
- a first light-guiding element connected to the transmitter and a second light-guiding element connected to the receiver are then guided from this component into the central area, as already described in DE 199 43 887 AI , which are connected to a coupling element or coupling element arranged in the central area and guiding the light in question.
- the sensing areas are fan-shaped, circular segment-shaped, circular cut-out or circular.
- the sensing areas are fan-shaped, circular segment-shaped, circular cut-out or circular.
- the retroreflector is advantageously a holographic retroreflector which has two focus points, the transmitter being arranged in one of the focus points and the receiver being arranged in the other, or the coupling element for the sensor being in one of the focus points and the coupling element for in the other focus point located the recipient.
- FIG. 1 shows a section through a window of a motor vehicle which is provided with the optical sensor in the form of a rain sensor
- FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the left-hand or right-hand half of FIG. 1 along the section line drawn therein
- FIG. 3 shows a plan view of another FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment similar to an optical sensor in the form of a rain sensor
- FIG. 4 shows the beam path in a holographic retroreflector with two focus points.
- FIG. 1 shows a section through a window 21 of a motor vehicle, on one side of which there is a central region 10, from which two electromagnetic waves, which are semicircular in plan view, emanate from two sensor regions 12 which are designed to be semicircular and assigned to them reflected or totally if the disk 21 is dry on its surface 20 in the area of the sensing areas 12, from the sensing areas 12 meet two semicircular retroreflectors 11 assigned to the sensing areas 12, which are designed in the form of holographic retroreflectors 11 with two focal points 22, 23 , and then returned from the retro reflectors 11 back via the sensing areas 12 into the central area 10.
- FIG. 2 shows a plan view of FIG. 1, only one half of the central area 10 or one of the two semicircular sensing areas 12 and the associated semicircular retroreflector 11 being shown.
- the central area 10 with the sensing areas 12, the retroreflectors 11 and the disk 21 exposed to the electromagnetic waves thus forms an optical sensor 5 which is sensitive to wetting of the sensing areas 12 and thus the disk 21.
- a change in the intensity of the electromagnetic waves reflected back there from the two sensing areas 12 is detected separately in the central area 10 as soon as the condition for the occurrence of, for example by formation of wetting by rain or fog, occurs in at least one of the sensing areas 12
- the central area 10 also has two coupling elements corresponding to the number of sensing areas 12, via which the Sensing areas 12 with two light emitting diodes, each provided as a transmitter 13 and integrated in the central area 10, can be acted upon by electromagnetic waves.
- the beam splitter can also be integrated into the coupling element.
- the central area 10 according to FIGS. 1 and 2 also has two number of decoupling elements corresponding to the number of sensing areas 12, via which the change in the measurement signal occurring in the sensing areas 12 with two separate receivers 14 which are respectively assigned to the decoupling elements and are integrated in the central area , for example photodiodes, is detectable.
- a separate receiver 14 is preferably provided in the central area 10 for each sensing area 12, so that a spatially resolved change in the signal, i.e. an assignment of a signal change to a sensing area 12 is possible.
- transmitter 13 and / or the receiver 14 can also be arranged outside the central area 10, as is known from DE 199 43 887 A1.
- transmitters 13 and / or receivers 14 are then connected via a light-guiding element, for example a single-mode or multimode light guide or a bundle of such light guides, to the respective coupling element or coupling element located in the central area 10.
- FIG. 3 shows a further exemplary embodiment of an optical sensor 5 with three sensing areas 12 x , each of which detects an angular range of approximately 90 °, the three retroreflectors 11 assigned to the three sensing areas 12 'also being structured in a circular manner.
- the embodiment according to FIG. 3 is largely analogous to the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 and 2.
- a further development of the embodiment of Figure 3 provides for x so form the sensing regions 12 that it up to 120 ° to 120 °, detect an angular range of 30 °, in particular 60 °.
- the number of circular sectors or sensing areas 12 ′ can differ from three, in contrast to FIG. 3.
- the number of circular sectors or sensing areas 12 ' is preferably between two and six, wherein they are shaped in such a way that they cover the largest possible angular range, ideally 360 °.
- the shape of the retroreflectors 11, 11 ' is adapted to the shape of the sensing areas 12, 12'.
- both the shape and the number of retroreflectors 11, 11 ' correspond to the shape and number of sensing areas 12, 12'.
- the retroreflectors 11, 11 ' are, as is known from DE 199 43 887 A1, preferably holographic retroreflectors 11, 11 x , which are glued to the pane 21 in the form of a film, a plate or a flat glass pane are.
- holographic retroreflectors 11, 11 ' can also be used inside or the surface of the disk 21, for example, has already been integrated during its manufacture.
- the decoupling elements or coupling elements, which are located in the central region 10, are formed in a known manner, for example by a bend, a prism or a grating.
- FIG. 4 schematically explains the arrangement of the transmitter 13 and receiver 14 in the central region 10 in plan view, a retroreflector 11 , ⁇ being drawn in, which is designed in the form of a cutout from an ellipse ring.
- This retroreflector 11 ′′ has two focal points 22, 23, so that electromagnetic waves emanating from the transmitter 13 in the first focal point 22 via the sensing region 12, 12 ′ (not shown) and the associated retroreflector 11 > in the second focal point 23, and thus on the location of the receiver 14 can be reflected back.
- the retroreflectors 11, 11 may be 'll 1', is carried out as described therein as a mirror segments or hollow mirror segments, which focus the electromagnetic waves on the decoupling element or the receiver 14 may.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Investigating Or Analysing Materials By Optical Means (AREA)
- Optical Transform (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
DE10132889A DE10132889A1 (en) | 2001-07-06 | 2001-07-06 | Optical sensor for detecting the wetting of a surface |
DE10132889 | 2001-07-06 | ||
PCT/DE2002/002421 WO2003004321A1 (en) | 2001-07-06 | 2002-07-03 | Optical sensor for detecting moisture on a surface |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP1425203A1 true EP1425203A1 (en) | 2004-06-09 |
Family
ID=7690895
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP02750823A Ceased EP1425203A1 (en) | 2001-07-06 | 2002-07-03 | Optical sensor for detecting moisture on a surface |
Country Status (5)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US7019322B2 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1425203A1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP2004521358A (en) |
DE (1) | DE10132889A1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2003004321A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP2004077297A (en) * | 2002-08-19 | 2004-03-11 | Nippon Sheet Glass Co Ltd | Dew condensation detector |
DE10314704A1 (en) * | 2003-03-31 | 2004-10-14 | Robert Bosch Gmbh | Rain sensor for a motor vehicle has a measured section made up of a transmitter for emitting rays and a receiver for detecting rays |
DE102004050765A1 (en) * | 2004-10-16 | 2006-04-27 | Robert Bosch Gmbh | Optical sensor for detecting moisture on a window of a motor vehicle |
DE102005062785A1 (en) * | 2005-12-28 | 2007-07-05 | Robert Bosch Gmbh | Rain sensor for motor vehicle, has optical waveguide with coupling units, which are formed by layer-shaped pieces made of photopolymer, in which volume holograms are incorporated, where pieces are arranged between waveguide core and casing |
DE102008061616B4 (en) | 2008-12-11 | 2021-06-10 | Bcs Automotive Interface Solutions Gmbh | Optical sensor device |
US11891022B2 (en) * | 2020-10-12 | 2024-02-06 | Au Optronics Corporation | Raindrop sensor device and driving method thereof |
Family Cites Families (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5391891A (en) * | 1990-02-28 | 1995-02-21 | Leopold Kostal Gmbh & Co. Kg | Moisture sensing device |
US5898183A (en) * | 1997-10-16 | 1999-04-27 | Libbey-Owens-Ford Co. | Compact moisture sensor with efficient high obliquity optics |
DE19815747C1 (en) * | 1998-04-08 | 1999-10-28 | Bosch Gmbh Robert | Sensor device for detecting wetting on a pane |
DE19943887A1 (en) * | 1998-09-15 | 2000-03-23 | Bosch Gmbh Robert | Optical detector for example rain on windscreen surface or for taking measurements from suspensions, comprises optical transmitter-receiver directing beam via reflector to wetted surface and back |
EP0999104A3 (en) * | 1998-11-02 | 2003-09-17 | Central Glass Company, Limited | Water droplet sensor and exposure system for hologram |
DE19909989B4 (en) | 1999-03-06 | 2006-09-28 | Leopold Kostal Gmbh & Co. Kg | Device for detecting objects located on a transparent pane |
-
2001
- 2001-07-06 DE DE10132889A patent/DE10132889A1/en not_active Ceased
-
2002
- 2002-07-03 EP EP02750823A patent/EP1425203A1/en not_active Ceased
- 2002-07-03 JP JP2003510307A patent/JP2004521358A/en active Pending
- 2002-07-03 US US10/363,707 patent/US7019322B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2002-07-03 WO PCT/DE2002/002421 patent/WO2003004321A1/en active Application Filing
Non-Patent Citations (1)
Title |
---|
See references of WO03004321A1 * |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US7019322B2 (en) | 2006-03-28 |
WO2003004321A1 (en) | 2003-01-16 |
US20040027666A1 (en) | 2004-02-12 |
JP2004521358A (en) | 2004-07-15 |
DE10132889A1 (en) | 2003-01-23 |
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