A droplet sensor includes an optical cover that forms part of a spheroid, a major axis of the spheroid being a vertical axis, a light emitting/receiving device disposed at a position offset from a first focal point of the spheroid along the major axis, and a reflector disposed in vicinity of a second focal point of the spheroid. The optical cover has an effective detection area between the light emitting/receiving device and the reflector. The effective detection area satisfies a total internal reflection condition at an interface with a gas, and does not satisfy the total internal reflection condition at an interface with a liquid. The reflector reflects, towards a light receiving surface of the light emitting/receiving device, light totally reflected by the effective detection area, or reflects, towards the effective detection area, light directly incident on the reflector from the light emitting/receiving device.

An apparatus and a method for controlling an autonomous vehicle depending on weather are provided. The apparatus obtains information including at least one of an image around the autonomous vehicle, sensing information of a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) of the autonomous vehicle, sensing information of a rain sensor of the autonomous vehicle, an operation state of a windshield wiper of the autonomous vehicle, climate information through vehicle to everything (V2X) communication, an acceleration of the autonomous vehicle, or wheel sensor information of the autonomous vehicle and determines whether the climate state is an inclement weather state, based on the information including the at least one of the image around the autonomous vehicle, the sensing information of the LIDAR, the sensing information of the rain sensor, the operation state of the windshield wiper, the climate information through the V2X communication, the acceleration, or the wheel sensor information.

A droplet sensor includes an optical cover having a curved surface that forms a part of a spheroid, a protective film that covers the curved surface of the optical cover, a light source provided at a first focal point of an ellipse facing the curved surface, and a photodetector provided at a second focal point of the ellipse. The refractive index of the protective film is greater than the refractive index of a liquid to be detected. A sensing region is determined by a range of an incident angle at which a light beam emitted from the light source and incident onto the curved surface is totally reflected at the interface between the protective film and a gas, and is not totally reflected at the interface between the protective film and the liquid to be detected.

A droplet sensor includes an optical cover having an ellipsoid surface that is a portion of a spheroid, a light source disposed at or in proximity to a first focal point of the ellipsoid surface, and a light detector disposed at or in proximity to a second focal point of the ellipsoid surface. The ellipsoid surface includes an effective detection area configured to reflect light emitted by the light source toward the light detector, and an amount of light reflected by the effective detection area changes in accordance with adhesion of droplets on the ellipsoid surface. The optical cover includes a space having a hemispherical surface, the space being centered at the second focal point. The hemispherical surface includes a transmission scattering surface on a region that receives the light reflected by the effective detection area.

A droplet sensor includes: an optical cover having an ellipsoid surface that is a portion of a spheroid; a light source disposed at or in proximity to a first focal point of the ellipsoid surface; and a light detector disposed at or in proximity to a second focal point of the ellipsoid surface, wherein the ellipsoid surface is an effective detection area configured to reflect light emitted from the light source toward the light detector, and an amount of light reflected by the effective detection area changes in accordance with adhesion of droplets on the ellipsoid surface, and wherein the optical cover has a curved surface that is tangentially connected to an outside of the effective detection area and having a curvature greater than a curvature of the ellipsoid surface.

A sensor apparatus for detecting the wetness of window, with a radiation emitter and a radiation receiver, with an optical guide element which can be coupled to the inner side of the window, the radiation inlet side and the radiation outlet side of the guide element are each embodied as a lens arrangement, and a lens arrangement is embodied by lens contours arranged side by side. The lens arrangement on the radiation inlet side has at least two lens contours. The inlet surfaces of the lens contours on the radiation inlet side, through which the radiation is able to enter the guide element, are inclined towards each other. The lens arrangement on the radiation outlet side has at least two lens contours. The outlet surfaces of the lens contours on the radiation outlet side, through which the radiation can exit the guide element, are inclined towards each other.

An optical rain sensor including a plurality of light detecting elements and a plurality of peripheral light emitting elements disposed on a printed circuit board (PCB) and surrounding a central light emitting element disposed on the PCB, wherein, in a first mode of operation, the central light emitting element is configured to emit light beams toward the plurality of light detecting elements, and wherein, in a second mode of operation, each of the peripheral light emitting elements is configured to emit light beams toward the plurality of light detecting elements.

With a sensor device for recording moisture on a window pane with a transmitter and a receiver and an optical unit arranged between the transmitter and the receiver, wherein the optical unit includes an optical input unit facing the transmitter, an optical output unit facing the receiver and a coupling-in and coupling-out region on the side of the window pane, the coupling-in and coupling-out region is optically separated from the optical input unit and the optical output unit such that the electromagnetic waves emitted by the transmitter are refracted. A particularly compact constructional design is achieved thereby.

An illustrative example embodiment of a device for detecting rain or a substance on a windshield includes at least one radiation source, an internal reflection sensor situated to detect at least some of a first portion of the radiation that reflects from the windshield. The internal reflection sensor provides a first output that has a characteristic that differs based on whether at least one raindrop is on the windshield. A scattered reflection sensor is situated to detect at least some of a second portion of the radiation reflecting from rain near the windshield or a substance on the windshield. The scattered reflection sensor provides a second output indicative of an amount of radiation incident on the scattered reflection sensor. A processor is configured to determine a condition of the windshield based on the first output and the second output.

Described herein is a sensor for sensing reflective material. The sensor includes a housing with a transparent window and a sensor mount located in the housing and angled away from a housing wall. A radiation emitter is mounted in the sensor mount and emits radiation along an axis through the transparent window which has an amount of the reflective material located thereon. A radiation detector is mounted in the sensor mount and located adjacent the radiation emitter. The radiation detector is located to receive reflected radiation from the reflective material along another axis. The first axis is angled towards the second axis.