A method for calibrating a rain sensor (3), the rain sensor (3) being configured to measure a quantity of rain on a window (101) of a vehicle (100), the rain sensor (3) including a transmitter (4) and a receiver (5), the transmitter (4) being configured to emit or transmit light to the window (101) and the receiver (5) being configured to receive measurement light that is emitted or transmitted by the transmitter (4) and guided to the receiver (5) by the window (101); the method comprising: varying (S1) an incidence angle (?) of the light emitted or transmitted by the transmitter (4) to the window (101).

A simulation method, implemented by computer, simulates the optical power of a laminated glass of given shape liable to be obtained by laminating at least two glass sheets and at least one lamination interlayer, the laminated glass being liable to have an edge, a first main face, and a second main face. The method is suitable for determining a minimum value of optical quality index which a combination of glass sheets must satisfy so as to form a laminated glass of given shape with a given optical quality constraint.

A device comprises a housing, a detector for receiving solar irradiance and for providing a detector signal providing an indication of an amount of solar irradiance received by the detector and a shield transparent to at least part of the solar irradiance to be detected, the shield and the housing providing a detector space for housing at least part of the detector. The device further comprises a first light source for emitting light to the shield and a first light sensor arranged to receive light from the first light source, arranged to provide a first signal providing an indication for an amount of light received by the first light sensor. Particles will and reflect light back to the detector space. The reflected light is received by the light sensor. Hence, a signal generated by the sensor is an indication for pollution of the shield.

A method for determining a distortion of the image of an object formed by a reflection on a reflecting object includes capturing a reflected image of the reflecting object, determining, using the captured reflected image, a three-dimensional (3-D) shape of the surface of the reflecting object, calculating, based on the determined 3-D shape, distortion of the captured reflected image of the reflecting object from different viewing directions and using the calculated distortion from the different viewing directions, determining a three-dimensional (3-D) distortion of the surface of the reflecting object.

A glass sheet optical inspection system installed online in a glass sheet processing system includes an apparatus for measuring small optical or obstructive defects in a first selected area of the glass sheet by acquiring and developing a first set of image data, and an apparatus for measuring transmitted optical distortion in a second selected area of the glass sheet by acquiring and developing a second set of image data. The system may also include a glass sheet part identifier and a programmable control including logic for analyzing acquired image data and identifying the glass sheet as one of a set of known part types and thereafter securing and positioning the glass sheet based upon the part-shape analysis.

A method and installation of inspecting a fragmentation pattern of a tempered glass panel by deflectometry, following a fragmentation test, the method including: (i) positioning the tempered glass panel in contact with a support; (ii) projecting by a display device a structured light pattern on the surface of at least one portion of the tempered glass panel; (iii) capturing an image reflected by the surface of the first portion of the tempered glass panel using an image capture device; and (vi) processing the images to determine the fragmentation pattern by an image processing device.

A small defect detection apparatus installed online in a glass sheet processing system includes a line scan camera, a background screen including contrasting elements arranged in a pre-defined pattern, an upstream conveyor and a downstream conveyor, wherein the upstream conveyor and downstream conveyor are positioned end-to-end, spaced apart by a selected size gap such that the camera may acquire multiple images of the background screen as the unsupported portion of the glass sheet is conveyed over the gap, and a computer programmed to execute logic for receiving the set of image data comprising multiple images of the background screen and identifying small defects in the glass from the data. The system may also include a glass sheet part identifier and a programmable control including logic for analyzing acquired image data and selecting an area of interest on the glass sheet for the analysis.

A method (and system) for the identification of defects in transparent slabs comprises at least the phases of supply of at least one transparent slab to be inspected; acquisition of at least one image of at least one portion of the slab along an acquisition line; identification of at least one defect in the slab depending on the acquired image; at least one emission phase of at least one light radiation transmitted inside the slab along an emission line substantially transverse to the acquisition line and adapted to be incident with at least one defect in the slab in order to identify the position thereof, the light radiation incident with the defect being diffused by the latter at least in part outside the slab.

A method for detecting optical defects within a windshield. The method takes, as input, a digital image map of the intensity of optical power of a windshield, and provides, as output, a digital image map of optical defects. The method includes (a) an image processing of the digital image map of optical powers for detecting and delimiting regions that differs in intensity of optical power; (b) computing, for each detected regions, a representative geometric distance and a representative value of the optical power; (c) computing an image map of the detected regions for which the product between the representative geometric distance and the representative value of the optical power is equal or superior to 2.9.Math.10.sup.?4.

An optical inspection system is provided for an ultraviolet laser and associated optics forming a planar laser sheet directed to a glass sheet. The planar laser sheet intersects a surface of the glass sheet thereby causing the surface of the glass sheet to fluoresce and form a visible wavelength line on the surface. A camera has an image sensor for detecting the visible wavelength line. A control system in configured to receive image data indicative of the visible wavelength line, analyze and triangulate the data to determine a series of coordinates associated with the line, and create a three-dimensional map of the surface of the glass sheet as a function of the series of coordinates. Methods for using an optical inspection system, for gauging a surface using an optical inspection system, and for providing optical reflectance information for a surface using an optical inspection system are also provided.