Apparatus for optically detecting an extraneous matter on a translucent shield

Claim 1

An apparatus for optically detecting the presence of extraneous matter on a windshield comprising: first light-emitting means for emitting light from an inner side of said windshield toward an outer surface of said windshield to cause a light reflection form said outer surface; second light-emitting means for emitting light from the inner side of said windshield toward an inner surface of said windshield to cause a light reflection from said inner surface; first transducer means for receiving said light reflection from said outer surface of said windshield and generating a first detection signal corresponding to a quantity of the reflection light received by said first transducer means; second transducer means for receiving a quantity of external light from an outer side of said windshield and generating a second detection signal corresponding to a quantity of external light; third transducer means for receiving said light reflection from said inner surface of said windshield and generating a third detection signal corresponding to a quantity of the reflection light received by said third transducer means; and data processing means responsive to said first, second and third detection signals for: (a) successively comparing the level of said first detection signal with a first predetermined reference level so as to generate a first high-level signal when the level of said first detection signal is higher than said first predetermined reference level, and determining the presence of extraneous matters on said windshield on the basis of the number of the generated first high-level signals, (b) comparing the level of said second detection signal with a second predetermined reference level so as to determine a second result and determining the degree of brightness outside said windshield in accordance with said second result, and (c) successively comparing the level of said third detection signal with a third predetermined reference level so as to generate a third high-level signal when the level of said third detection signal is higher than said third predetermined reference level and determining the presence of extraneous matter on the inner surface of said windshield on the basis of the number of the generated third high-level signals.

Claim 2

An apparatus for optically detecting the presence of extraneous matter on a windshield comprising: first light-emitting means for emitting light from an inner side of said windshield toward an outer surface of said windshield to cause a light reflection form said outer surface; second light-emitting means for emitting light from the inner side of said windshield toward an inner surface of said windshield to cause a light reflection from said inner surface; first transducer means for receiving said light reflection from said outer surface of said windshield and generating a first detection signal corresponding to a quantity of the reflection light received by said first transducer means; second transducer means for receiving a quantity of external light from an outer side of said windshield and generating a second detection signal corresponding to a quantity of external light; third transducer means for receiving said light reflection from said inner surface of said windshield and generating a third detection signal corresponding to a quantity of the reflection light received by said third transducer means; and data processing means responsive to said first, second and third detection signals for: (a) successively comparing the level of said first detection signal with a first predetermined reference level so as to generate a first high-level signal when the level of said first detection signal is higher than said first predetermined reference level, and determining the presence of extraneous matters on said windshield on the basis of the number of the generated first high-level signals, (b) comparing the level of said second detection signal with a second predetermined reference level so as to determine a second result and determining the degree of brightness outside said windshield in accordance with said second result, and (c) successively comparing the level of said third detection signal with a third predetermined reference level so as to generate a third high-level signal when the level of said third detection signal is higher than said third predetermined reference level and determining the presence of extraneous matter on the inner surface of said windshield on the basis of the number of the generated third high-level signals.

Claim 6

An apparatus for optically detecting the presence of extraneous matter on a windshield, comprising: first light-emitting means, located at an inner side of said windshield away from an inner surface of said windshield, for emitting light toward an outer surface of said windshield to cause a light reflection from said outer surface; second light-emitting means, located at said inner side of said windshield away from said inner surface of said windshield, for emitting light toward said inner surface of said windshield to cause a light reflection from said inner surface; transducer means for receiving both said light reflections from said outer and inner surfaces of said windshield and generating first and second detection signals respectively corresponding to respective quantities of the said light reflections from said outer and inner surfaces of said windshield; and data processing means responsive to said first and second detection signals for: (a) successively comparing the level of said first detection signal with a first predetermined reference level so as to generate a first high-level signal whenever the level of said first detection signal is higher than said first predetermined reference level and determining the presence of extraneous matter on the outer surface of said windshield on the basis of the number of the generated first signals, and (b) successively comparing the level of said second detection signal with a second predetermined reference level so as to generate a second high-level signal whenever the level of each of said at least one second detection signal is higher than said second predetermined reference level and determining the presence of the extraneous matter on the inner surface of said windshield on the basis of the number of the generated second high-level signals.

Claim 7

An apparatus for optically detecting the presence of extraneous matter on a windshield, comprising: first light-emitting means, located at an inner side of said windshield away from an inner surface of said windshield, for emitting light toward an outer surface of said windshield to cause a light reflection from said outer surface; second light-emitting means, located at said inner side of said windshield away from said inner surface of said windshield, for emitting light toward said inner surface of said windshield to cause a light reflection from said inner surface; transducer means for receiving both said light reflections from said outer and inner surfaces of said windshield and generating first and second detection signals respectively corresponding to respective quantities of the said light reflections from said outer and inner surfaces of said windshield; and data processing means responsive to said first and second detection signals for: (a) successively comparing the level of said first detection signal with a first predetermined reference level so as to generate a first high-level signal whenever the level of said first detection signal is higher than said first predetermined reference level and determining the presence of extraneous matter on the outer surface of said windshield on the basis of the number of the generated first signals, and (b) successively comparing the level of said second detection signal with a second predetermined reference level so as to generate a second high-level signal whenever the level of each of said at least one second detection signal is higher than said second predetermined reference level and determining the presence of the extraneous matter on the inner surface of said windshield on the basis of the number of the generated second high-level signals.

Claim 13

An apparatus for optically detecting the presence of extraneous matter on a windshield, comprising: a housing located at an inner side of said windshield away from an inner surface of said windshield; first light-emitting means, located within said housing and having at least one infrared-emitting diode, for emitting at least one light ray toward an outer surface of said windshield, each of said at least one infrared-emitting element emitting one of said at least one light ray; second light-emitting means, located within said housing and having at least one second infrared-emitting diode, for emitting at least one second light ray toward the inner surface of said windshield, each of said at least one second infrared-emitting diode emitting one of said at least one second light ray; first transducer means, located within said housing, for receiving said at least one light ray reflected on the outer surface of said windshield and emitted from said first light-emitting means so as to generate at least one first detection signal corresponding to a quantity of the reflection light on the outer surface of said windshield; second transducer means, located within said housing, for receiving said at least one second light ray reflected on the inner surface of said windshield and emitted from said second light emitting means so as to generate at least one second detection signal corresponding to a quantity of the reflection light on the inner surface thereof; and data processing means, responsive to said at least one first detection signal and said at least one second detection signal from said first and second transducer means, for successively comparing the level of each of said at least one first detection signal with a first predetermined reference level so as to generate a first signal when the level of each of said at least one first detection signal is higher than said first predetermined reference level, and for successively comparing the level of each of said at least one second detection signal with a second predetermined reference level so as to generate a second signal when the level of each of said at least one second detection signal is higher than said second predetermined reference level, said data processing means determining the presence of the extraneous matter on the outer surface of said windshield on the basis of the number of the of the extraneous matter on the inner surface of said windshield on the basis of the number of the generated at least one second signal.

Claim 14

An apparatus for optically detecting the presence of extraneous matter on a windshield, comprising: a housing located at an inner side of said windshield away from an inner surface of said windshield; first light-emitting means, located within said housing and having at least one infrared-emitting diode, for emitting at least one light ray toward an outer surface of said windshield, each of said at least one infrared-emitting element emitting one of said at least one light ray; second light-emitting means, located within said housing and having at least one second infrared-emitting diode, for emitting at least one second light ray toward the inner surface of said windshield, each of said at least one second infrared-emitting diode emitting one of said at least one second light ray; first transducer means, located within said housing, for receiving said at least one light ray reflected on the outer surface of said windshield and emitted from said first light-emitting means so as to generate at least one first detection signal corresponding to a quantity of the reflection light on the outer surface of said windshield; second transducer means, located within said housing, for receiving said at least one second light ray reflected on the inner surface of said windshield and emitted from said second light emitting means so as to generate at least one second detection signal corresponding to a quantity of the reflection light on the inner surface thereof; and data processing means, responsive to said at least one first detection signal and said at least one second detection signal from said first and second transducer means, for successively comparing the level of each of said at least one first detection signal with a first predetermined reference level so as to generate a first signal when the level of each of said at least one first detection signal is higher than said first predetermined reference level, and for successively comparing the level of each of said at least one second detection signal with a second predetermined reference level so as to generate a second signal when the level of each of said at least one second detection signal is higher than said second predetermined reference level, said data processing means determining the presence of the extraneous matter on the outer surface of said windshield on the basis of the number of the of the extraneous matter on the inner surface of said windshield on the basis of the number of the generated at least one second signal.

Claim 16

An apparatus for optically detecting the presence of extraneous matter on a windshield comprising: light emitting means, located at an inner side of said windshield, for emitting at least one first beam toward an outer surface of said windshield, and for emitting at least one second beam toward said inner surface of said windshield; transducer means for receiving at least one of said at least one first beam after said at least one first beam has reflected from said outer surface of said windshield, and for receiving at least one of said at least one second beam after said at least one second beam has reflected from said inner surface of said windshield, said transducer means generating at least one corresponding first detection signal in response to each of said at least one reflected first beam, said transducer means generating at least one corresponding second detection signal in response to each of said at least one reflected second beam; data processing means, responsive to said at least one first detection signal and said at least one second detection signal, for detecting the presence of extraneous matter on said outer surface of said windshield in response to said at least one first detection signal, and for determining extraneous matter on said inner surface of said windshield in response to said at least one second detection signal.

Claim 17

An apparatus for optically detecting the presence of extraneous matter on a windshield comprising: light emitting means, located at an inner side of said windshield, for emitting at least one first beam toward an outer surface of said windshield, and for emitting at least one second beam toward said inner surface of said windshield; transducer means for receiving at least one of said at least one first beam after said at least one first beam has reflected from said outer surface of said windshield, and for receiving at least one of said at least one second beam after said at least one second beam has reflected from said inner surface of said windshield, said transducer means generating at least one corresponding first detection signal in response to each of said at least one reflected first beam, said transducer means generating at least one corresponding second detection signal in response to each of said at least one reflected second beam; data processing means, responsive to said at least one first detection signal and said at least one second detection signal, for detecting the presence of extraneous matter on said outer surface of said windshield in response to said at least one first detection signal, and for determining extraneous matter on said inner surface of said windshield in response to said at least one second detection signal.

Claim 27

An apparatus for optically detecting the presence of extraneous matter on a windshield, comprising: first light-emitting means installed at the inside of said windshield and having a plurality of light-emitting elements each emitting a light ray toward the outer surface of said windshield; second light-emitting means installed at the inside of said windshield and having a plurality of light-emitting elements each emitting a light ray toward the inner surface of said windshield; first transducer means having a plurality of transducer elements respectively receiving the light rays emitted from said plurality of light-emitting elements of said first light-emitting means and reflected on the outer surface of said windshield, said first transducer means generating first detection signals corresponding to quantities of the reflection light received by said plurality of transducer elements; second transducer means having at least one transducer element for receiving external light introduced from the outside of said windshield into said optically detecting apparatus, said second transducer means generating a second detection signal corresponding to the quantity of external light; third transducer means having a plurality of transducer elements respectively receiving the light rays emitted from said plurality of light-emitting elements of said third light-emitting means and reflected on the inner surface of said windshield, said third transducer means generating third detection signals corresponding to quantities of the reflection light received by said plurality of transducer elements thereof; and data processing means responsive to said first detection signals, said second detection signal and said third detection signals for successively comparing the level of said first detection signals with a first predetermined reference level so as to generate a first high-level signal when the level of each of said first detection signals is higher than said first predetermined reference level, for comparing the level of said second detection signal with a second predetermined reference level and for successively comparing the level of each of said third detection signals with a third predetermined reference level so as to produce a third high-level signal when the level of each of said third detection signals is higher than said third predetermined reference level, said data processing means determining the presence of extraneous matter on said windshield on the basis of the number of the generated first high-level signals, determining the degree of brightness outside said windshield in accordance with the result of the comparison of the level of said second detection signal with said second predetermined reference level and determining the fogging state on the inner surface of said windshield on the basis of the number of the produced third high-level signals.

Claim 28

An apparatus for optically detecting the presence of extraneous matter on a windshield, comprising: first light-emitting means installed at the inside of said windshield and having a plurality of light-emitting elements each emitting a light ray toward the outer surface of said windshield; second light-emitting means installed at the inside of said windshield and having a plurality of light-emitting elements each emitting a light ray toward the inner surface of said windshield; first transducer means having a plurality of transducer elements respectively receiving the light rays emitted from said plurality of light-emitting elements of said first light-emitting means and reflected on the outer surface of said windshield, said first transducer means generating first detection signals corresponding to quantities of the reflection light received by said plurality of transducer elements; second transducer means having at least one transducer element for receiving external light introduced from the outside of said windshield into said optically detecting apparatus, said second transducer means generating a second detection signal corresponding to the quantity of external light; third transducer means having a plurality of transducer elements respectively receiving the light rays emitted from said plurality of light-emitting elements of said third light-emitting means and reflected on the inner surface of said windshield, said third transducer means generating third detection signals corresponding to quantities of the reflection light received by said plurality of transducer elements thereof; and data processing means responsive to said first detection signals, said second detection signal and said third detection signals for successively comparing the level of said first detection signals with a first predetermined reference level so as to generate a first high-level signal when the level of each of said first detection signals is higher than said first predetermined reference level, for comparing the level of said second detection signal with a second predetermined reference level and for successively comparing the level of each of said third detection signals with a third predetermined reference level so as to produce a third high-level signal when the level of each of said third detection signals is higher than said third predetermined reference level, said data processing means determining the presence of extraneous matter on said windshield on the basis of the number of the generated first high-level signals, determining the degree of brightness outside said windshield in accordance with the result of the comparison of the level of said second detection signal with said second predetermined reference level and determining the fogging state on the inner surface of said windshield on the basis of the number of the produced third high-level signals.

Claim 32

An apparatus for optically detecting the presence of extraneous matter on a windshield, comprising: first light-emitting means installed at the inside of windshield to be in spaced relation to said windshield and having a plurality of light-emitting elements each emitting a light ray toward the outer surface of said windshield; windshield to be in spaced relation to said windshield and having a plurality of light-emitting elements each emitting a light ray toward the inner surface of said windshield; transducer means having a plurality of transducer elements which receive at least one of the light rays emitted from said plurality of light-emitting elements of said first light-emitting means and reflected on the outer surface of said windshield, and which receive at least one of the light rays emitted from said plurality of light-emitting elements of said second light emitting means and reflected on the inner surface of said windshield so as to generate first detection signals corresponding to quantities of the reflection light on the outer surface of said windshield and to generate second detection signals corresponding to quantities of the reflection light on the inner surface thereof; and data processing means responsive to said first detection signals and said second detection signals from said transducer means for successively comparing the level of each of said first detection signals with a first predetermined reference level so as to produce a first signal when the level of each of said first detection signals is higher than said first predetermined reference level and for successively comparing the level of each of said second detection signals with a second predetermined reference level so as to produce a second signal when the level of each of said second detection signals is higher than said second predetermined reference level, said data processing means determining the presence of extraneous matter on the outer surface of said windshield on the basis of the number of the produced first signals and determining the presence of the extraneous matter on the inner surface of said windshield on the basis of the number of the produced second signals.

Claim 33

An apparatus for optically detecting the presence of extraneous matter on a windshield, comprising: first light-emitting means installed at the inside of windshield to be in spaced relation to said windshield and having a plurality of light-emitting elements each emitting a light ray toward the outer surface of said windshield; windshield to be in spaced relation to said windshield and having a plurality of light-emitting elements each emitting a light ray toward the inner surface of said windshield; transducer means having a plurality of transducer elements which receive at least one of the light rays emitted from said plurality of light-emitting elements of said first light-emitting means and reflected on the outer surface of said windshield, and which receive at least one of the light rays emitted from said plurality of light-emitting elements of said second light emitting means and reflected on the inner surface of said windshield so as to generate first detection signals corresponding to quantities of the reflection light on the outer surface of said windshield and to generate second detection signals corresponding to quantities of the reflection light on the inner surface thereof; and data processing means responsive to said first detection signals and said second detection signals from said transducer means for successively comparing the level of each of said first detection signals with a first predetermined reference level so as to produce a first signal when the level of each of said first detection signals is higher than said first predetermined reference level and for successively comparing the level of each of said second detection signals with a second predetermined reference level so as to produce a second signal when the level of each of said second detection signals is higher than said second predetermined reference level, said data processing means determining the presence of extraneous matter on the outer surface of said windshield on the basis of the number of the produced first signals and determining the presence of the extraneous matter on the inner surface of said windshield on the basis of the number of the produced second signals.

Claim 40

An apparatus for optically detecting the presence of extraneous matter on a windshield, comprising: a housing placed at the inside of said windshield so as to be in spaced relation thereto; first light-emitting means encased in said housing and having a plurality of infrared-emitting diodes each emitting a light ray toward the outer surface of said windshield; second light-emitting means encased in said housing and having a plurality of infrared-emitting diodes each emitting a light ray toward the inner surface of said windshield; first transducer means encased in said housing and comprising image sensor means made of a silicon semiconductor which receives the light rays emitted from said light-emitting means and reflected on the outer surface of said windshield so as to generate first detection signals corresponding to quantities of the reflection light on the outer surface of said windshield; second transducer means encased in said housing and comprising image sensor means made of a silicon semiconductor which receives the light rays emitted from said second light emitting means and reflected on the inner surface of said windshield so as to generate second detection signals corresponding to quantities of the reflection light on the inner surface thereof; and data processing means responsive to said first detection signals and said second detection signals from said first and second transducer means for successively comparing the level of each of said first detection signals with a first predetermined reference level so as to produce a first signal when the level of each of said first detection signals is higher than said first predetermined reference level and for successively comparing the level of each of said second detection signals with a second predetermined reference level so as to produce a second signal when the level of each of said second detection signals is higher than said second predetermined deference level, said data processing means determining the presence of the extraneous matter on the outer surface of said windshield on the basis of the number of the produced first signals and determining the presence of extraneous matter on the inner surface of said windshield on the basis of the number of the produced second signals.

Claim 41

An apparatus for optically detecting the presence of extraneous matter on a windshield, comprising: a housing placed at the inside of said windshield so as to be in spaced relation thereto; first light-emitting means encased in said housing and having a plurality of infrared-emitting diodes each emitting a light ray toward the outer surface of said windshield; second light-emitting means encased in said housing and having a plurality of infrared-emitting diodes each emitting a light ray toward the inner surface of said windshield; first transducer means encased in said housing and comprising image sensor means made of a silicon semiconductor which receives the light rays emitted from said light-emitting means and reflected on the outer surface of said windshield so as to generate first detection signals corresponding to quantities of the reflection light on the outer surface of said windshield; second transducer means encased in said housing and comprising image sensor means made of a silicon semiconductor which receives the light rays emitted from said second light emitting means and reflected on the inner surface of said windshield so as to generate second detection signals corresponding to quantities of the reflection light on the inner surface thereof; and data processing means responsive to said first detection signals and said second detection signals from said first and second transducer means for successively comparing the level of each of said first detection signals with a first predetermined reference level so as to produce a first signal when the level of each of said first detection signals is higher than said first predetermined reference level and for successively comparing the level of each of said second detection signals with a second predetermined reference level so as to produce a second signal when the level of each of said second detection signals is higher than said second predetermined deference level, said data processing means determining the presence of the extraneous matter on the outer surface of said windshield on the basis of the number of the produced first signals and determining the presence of extraneous matter on the inner surface of said windshield on the basis of the number of the produced second signals.