The present disclosure provides an optical sensor having constant sensitivity regardless of changes in temperature. The optical sensor may include a light emitting device configured to emit light; a light receiving device configured to receive the light emitted from the light emitting device, and to output current based on an intensity of the light; a temperature sensor coupled with the light emitting device, and having electrical resistance varying with temperature; and a microcontroller including a first channel for supplying first current directly to the light emitting device, a second channel for supplying second current to the light emitting device via the temperature sensor, and a third channel for receiving the current output from the light receiving device.

A rain and temperature sensing module including a housing having a cover plate formed of a transparent material, a printed circuit board disposed within the housing and having a light emitter, a light receiver, and a temperature sensing element disposed thereon, a transparent compound disposed within the housing and covering the light emitter, the light receiver, and the temperature sensing element, the transparent compound filling a space between the printed circuit board and the cover plate, wherein the transparent compound has a refractive index that is substantially equal to a refractive index of the cover plate, and wherein the transparent compound provides a thermally conductive medium between the cover plate and the temperature sensing element.

A wiper motor control circuit carries out control in which a driving circuit generates, and supplies to a wiper motor, a voltage that eliminates deviation between a target speed and an actual speed of an output shaft. In a case in which a state in which the deviation between the target speed and the actual speed is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value continues for a predetermined time or more, the wiper motor control circuit carries out control that lowers the target speed and in which the driving circuit generates, and supplies to the wiper motor, a voltage that eliminates deviation between the lowered target speed and the actual speed of the output shaft.

A droplet sensor system is configured to detect the presence of droplets or other foreign bodies on the surface of a window. The sensor system emits light rays that are coupled into the window, where the window serves as a waveguide that guides the confined electromagnetic radiation across the window. Foreign bodies present on the surface of the glass outcouples a subset of the light as it propagates across the window, attenuating the power of outcoupled light measured at a photodetector mounted near an edge of the window. The system initiates a notification or a control action in response to detecting this attenuation of power due to outcoupling of the propagating light by foreign bodies.

A product [11] includes a foldable clamshell-type housing [10] folded to a closed position to contain a pre-formed sensor pad [17] that was formed in situ therein when the housing [10] was in an open position, prior to closing. The housing [10] has an enclosed volume [12] bounded by relatively thin and flexible walls [23, 34], and outwardly extending tabs [18] which facilitate opening. This structure enables the user to easily open the housing [10] to remove the sensor pad [17], a cured silicone composition, by pushing inward on an outer surface of the outer wall [34] of a base section [15] of the housing [10]. This product [11] reduces the amount of manipulation needed to place the sensor pad [17] in a desired position, for example, during installation of a rain sensor system for a vehicle windshield.

Automatic wiper control prohibiting means prohibits execution of automatic wiper control when vehicle stop detecting means detects that a vehicle is stopping and a masking object detecting part determines that a masking object is adhered to an outer surface of a window part. When the vehicle stop detecting means detects that the vehicle is stopping and a state of the masking object detecting part is changed from a state where the masking object detecting part detects that the masking object is adhered to the outer surface of the window part to a state where the masking object detecting part detects that the masking object is not adhered to the outer surface of the window part at a changing time, the automatic wiper control prohibiting means prohibits the execution of said automatic wiper control for a predetermined period of time from the changing time.

A display device, particularly for an exterior mirror of a motor vehicle, comprising a display means that comprises a lighting means, characterized in that the display device comprises a moisture detection apparatus comprising a sensor device, the moisture detection apparatus being designed to at least partially detect light emitted by the display means and light reflected by moisture.

A precipitation index estimation apparatus includes an operation mode data collection unit and an estimation processing unit. The data collection unit is configured to collect operation mode data indicating an operation mode of a windshield wiper, acquired in one or more vehicles positioned on a predetermined road link within a predetermined period. The estimation processing unit is configured to estimate a precipitation index indicating an intensity of precipitation on the predetermined road link within the predetermined period, based on a proportion of each of a plurality of kinds of operation modes, which is derived from the collected operation mode data.

A precipitation index estimation apparatus includes a data collection unit and an estimation processing unit. The data collection unit is configured to collect rainfall amount data detected by a rainfall amount sensor in one or more vehicles positioned on a predetermined road link within a predetermined period. The estimation processing unit is configured to estimate a precipitation index indicating an intensity of precipitation on the predetermined road link within the predetermined period, based on the collected rainfall amount data.

A sensor and a system using the sensor are described. The sensor may comprise: a cover; and a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) shroud located at a periphery of the cover. The system may include one or more such sensors in a passage of a housing. The system further may comprise a blower that moves air through the passage and across at least a portion of the sensor(s).