A rain sensor in a vehicle includes a transmitter to implement a pseudorandom modulation of a timing of emission of infrared transmissions toward a windshield of the vehicle. The rain sensor also includes a receiver to be active for only a specified period of time following each emission of the infrared transmissions and to receive a reflection based on the infrared transmission encountering any substance on the windshield.

An apparatus includes a lens assembly and a printed circuit board. The lens assembly may be configured to provide at least four orthogonal optical paths and a central atrium. The printed circuit board may be disposed below the lens assembly and generally comprises an antenna and ground plane on a front surface of the printed circuit board, and a first emitter, a second emitter, a first detector and a second detector mounted on the printed circuit board. The antenna is generally aligned with the central atrium. The first emitter is generally located between a first pair of the four orthogonal optical paths. The second emitter is generally located between a second pair of the four orthogonal optical paths. The first detector is generally located between a third pair of the four orthogonal optical paths. The second detector is generally located between a fourth pair of the four orthogonal optical paths.

In a sensor device for detecting moisture on a pane comprising at least one transmitter which emits light which is reflected at the pane and received by at least one receiver, an optical system is provided between the transmitter and the receiver, which brings about a multiple reflection between the pane and the optical system. A particularly good measurement is thereby made possible.

The present invention relates to a total reflection type rain sensor using a mirror, which is attached to a glass of a vehicle to detect raindrops falling onto the glass of the vehicle and outputs a signal capable of controlling speed and cycle of a wiper of the vehicle according to the amount and falling frequency of raindrops detected.

In a lens plate (18) for an optical sensor device in a vehicle, in particular for a rain sensor, with a transmitter-side lens structure (28) and a receiver-side lens structure (32), the transmitter-side lens structure (26) partially is provided with anti-transmission features which In individual regions of the lens plate (18) partially or completely prevent the passage of the light emitted by a light transmitter (14).

A rain sensor has a frost sensing function, and is attached to a windshield glass of a vehicle. The frost sensor includes a casing provided with a frost sensing region formed by recessing a part of the casing to contact indoor air; a light emitting unit that emits light such that the light is incident on the windshield glass; a light receiving unit that receives the light emitted from the light emitting unit and reflected from the windshield glass and the frost sensing region; and a control unit that outputs the light received by the light receiving unit as a control signal and activates a wiper and an air conditioner of the vehicle.

An integrated sensor apparatus of a vehicle is provided that includes a light emitter that is configured to emit a light having an area of a predetermined range or greater to a first region of a windshield. A light receiver is configured to receive the light emitted by the light emitter and reflected from the first region of the windshield and an external light incident from the exterior to the windshield. Further, a light guider is configured to be attached to the windshield to guide the light emitted by the light emitter to be reflected from the first region of the windshield and arrive at the light receiver. An image sensor is configured to sense a plurality of image patterns from the light reflected by the first region of the windshield and the external light incident into the windshield from the exterior.

A windowpane system (101) comprising: a windowpane (102); and at least one primary light source (105); each primary light source (105) being arranged so that light (106) from the primary light source (105) passes into the windowpane (102) through a first surface of the windowpane (102), the light (106) then travelling within the windowpane until it has undergone total internal reflection from one or more second surfaces of the windowpane a plurality of times, wherein at least some of the light from the primary light source is absorbed by the windowpane as the light from the primary light source passes through the windowpane.

A one-body type rain sensor is attached to a vehicle glass to differentiate a raindrop and an external object which fall down onto the vehicle glass, where the one-body type rain sensor includes a light emission unit which emits light which is inputted onto the vehicle glass, a second light emission module which emits light which is inputted onto the vehicle glass, a light receiving unit which receives the light which is emitted from the light emission unit and the second light emission unit and reflected off the vehicle glass, and a control unit which outputs the light that the light receiving unit has received, in the form of a signal, thereby operating a wiper of the vehicle.

A rain sensor has a frost sensing function, and is attached to a windshield glass of a vehicle. The frost sensor includes a casing provided with a frost sensing region formed by recessing a part of the casing to contact indoor air; a light emitting unit that emits light such that the light is incident on the windshield glass; a light receiving unit that receives the light emitted from the light emitting unit and reflected from the windshield glass and the frost sensing region; and a control unit that outputs the light received by the light receiving unit as a control signal and activates a wiper and an air conditioner of the vehicle.