JPH0643687Y2 - Light direction detector - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial application] The present invention relates to a light direction detecting device, for example, a light direction detecting device capable of detecting from which direction sunlight enters a window glass of an automobile. It is a thing.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, a sensor is arranged near the right window glass and the left window glass of a vehicle, and when the solar radiation amount detected by the left sensor is larger than the solar radiation amount detected by the right sensor, the left grill It has been proposed to increase the amount of air blown out of the vehicle so as to prevent the occupant's feeling on the left from deteriorating due to solar radiation incident from the left. (For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-031287).

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, according to the above configuration, the sensors are arranged on the left and right.
Since the number of sensors is required, the mounting of the sensor is complicated and the cost is high.

It is also proposed that two sensors are arranged close to each other on the left and right, and a partition is set up between them, but since each sensor is directly exposed to the solar radiation, the sensors are susceptible to thermal stress, and It had a defect that the detection accuracy was not good.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to have a simple structure and to improve the detection accuracy.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention covers a plurality of photodetecting elements arranged in a lateral direction with a neutral density filter, and provides a plurality of optical paths for separating light for each incident angle and distributing to each photodetecting element. .

[Action]

Light incident at each incident angle is distributed and incident on the photodetector element.

Therefore, the output of each detection element changes according to each incident angle.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a simplified configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a light direction detecting device according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numerals 1, 2, and 3 are light detecting elements arranged on a base material 4 in a left-right direction. This is composed of a photoelectric element or a temperature sensor. These are covered and integrated with the transparent resin molding material 5. Reference numeral 6 denotes a dome-shaped attenuating filter which covers the above-mentioned photodetecting elements 1 to 3, and as shown in FIG. Detection element 1
The outputs I of 3 to 3 are designed to obtain linearity over a wide range of luminosity.

The neutral density filter 6 may be formed of a resin colored brown or wine.

On the inner surface side of this neutral density filter, almost all photodetector elements 1 to 3 are provided.
Optical paths 7, 8 and 9 are provided, each of which is composed of a minute cylindrical cavity 10 extending in the radial direction with a predetermined width in the left-right direction. The optical path 7 is inclined in the direction of the photodetector 1 so as to guide the light from the area A (leftward in the drawing) to the photodetector 1. The optical path 8 extends in a substantially vertical direction so as to guide the light from the region B (on the drawing) toward the photodetector 2 and the optical path 9 guides the light from the region C (on the right) to the photodetector 3. And is inclined in the direction of the light detecting element 3. External light passing through the cylindrical cavities 10 forming the optical paths 7, 8 and 9 is distributed almost evenly on the surfaces of the elements 1, 2 and 3.

In this case, each of the cylindrical cavities 10 is set so that the length on the center side in each of the optical paths 7, 8 and 9 is set to be short, whereby the outer covering of the filter of the portion corresponding to the cylindrical cavity on the center side is formed. The wall thickness is set to increase in an arc shape.

According to the above configuration, assuming that the sun is located in the area A (on the left side in the drawing) and light is incident from the left side, the light is mainly detected by the light detection element 1 through the optical path 7, and thus the light detection is performed. The output a of the element 1 is the largest, the output C of the photo-detecting element 3 is the smallest, the output b of the element 2 is medium, and FIG.
The output distribution of the characteristic N shown in is obtained. When the sun is located directly above and light is incident in the vertical direction from the region B, the light mainly enters the photodetection element 2 through the optical path 8, so that the output b of this element is the largest, The characteristic M of FIG. 3A is obtained. When the light is incident from the right side, the characteristic O of FIG. 3A is obtained. Further, when the light is incident from the substantially intermediate position between the areas A and B, the characteristic P of FIG. 3B is obtained,
When the light enters from approximately the middle of the regions B and C, the characteristic Q of FIG. 3B is obtained.

Further, since the wall thickness of the outer cover of the filter 6 is thick at the intermediate position of each optical path, for example, when processing is performed by a microcomputer or the like, as shown in FIG.
By introducing and processing the idea like (b), the solar radiation direction can be accurately detected. This detection principle will be specifically described below.

If the sum of the outputs of the photodetectors is a + b + c = 1,
In the region B (α = α _{1 to} α ₁ ) of FIG. ₁ , when α = α ₀ = 90 °, and b = 0.6, a + c = 0.4. Also, from FIG. 1, a = c
Is clear. Therefore, a = 0.2, b = 0.6, c = 0.2.

When α = α ₁ , from FIG. 1, b = 0.5. Also, a + c = 0.5, a
> C. Therefore, a = 0.3, b = 0.5, c = 0.2.

Similarly, when α = α ₁ , a = 0.2, b = 0.5, c = 0.3.

As described above, the characteristics in the region B are as shown in FIG.

Similarly, in the AB region, when α is in the middle of the AB region (−α ₂ to −α ₁ ), from FIG. 1, a = 0.4, b = 0.4, c = 0.2.

When α = −α ₂ , from FIG. 1, if c = 0.15, then a + b = 0.85,
From a> b, a = 0.45 and b = 0.4, so a
= 0.45, b = 0.4, c = 0.15.

As described above, the characteristics in the AB region are as shown in FIG.

Further, even if the incident light is reflected by the surface of the molding material 5, the reflected light is absorbed by the cylindrical cavity, so that it may be re-reflected from the inner surface of the neutral density filter and re-incident on each of the elements 1 to 3. Absent.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the photodetectors 1, 2, and 3 are arranged in a circle along the shape of the dome-shaped filter for lightning, the lengths of the cylindrical cavities can be made equal. The thickness of the outer cover of the electronic filter can be made uniform.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, two detection elements, elements 1 and 3, may be provided.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the left and right air outlets 20 and 21 provided on the left and right of the dashboard can be adjusted in the left and right angles of the grilles 20a and 21a by actuators 22 and 23, and the air outlets can be adjusted. 20 and 21 have a door 24 and an actuator 25 for adjusting the distribution amount of air from the air conditioner, and blow out from the air outlets 20 and 21 based on the direction of the grills 20a and 21a and the control of the door 24. Flow rate VL, VR
The case of adjusting will be described with reference to FIG.

First, the amount of solar radiation is detected by detecting the total amount of received light F as the sum of the outputs of the photodetection elements 1 to 3, and the amount of blown air and the temperature of blown air of the vehicle air conditioner itself are set. Now, if the incident direction of light is from the area B (step S2), it means that the sun is located directly above, so that the door 24 is set to the intermediate position as shown in step S3, and the air on the left and right sides is set. Air volume from outlets 21, 21 VL, VR
Are the same, and the grill directions are set symmetrically.
In step S4, if the incident direction is from the area A, it means that the light comes from the left side, so the grill direction is leftward and VL> VR.

Next, if the light is from the area C as shown in step S6, the grill is turned to the right and the blown air volume is set to VR> VL. If the light is from the area AB as shown in step S8, the grill direction is set to the right and the air volume is set to VR = VL.

Next, if the light is from the area BC as shown in step S10, the grill direction is leftward and the air volume is VR = VL as shown in step S11.

By such an operation, uniform air conditioning can be given to an occupant positioned in either of the left and right windows.

[Effect of device]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the plurality of photodetector elements covered by the neutral density filter are provided with the optical paths for separating and supplying the light for each incident angle of the light, the direction of the light can be reliably detected. Further, it is possible to obtain the effect that the configuration is simple and the detection accuracy is high.

It should be noted that the optical path may be filled with an optical fiber without forming the cylindrical cavity.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a simplified configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a light direction detecting device according to the present invention, FIGS. 2 and 3 are diagrams for explaining output characteristics of a light detecting element, FIG. 4, and FIG. Is a diagram showing another embodiment of the light direction detecting device of the present invention, and FIGS. 6 and 7 are configuration diagrams for explaining the operating state of the vehicle air conditioner using the light direction detecting device of the present invention. And flowchart,
8 and 9 are explanatory diagrams for explaining the detection principle. 1 to 3 ... Photodetector, 5 ... Mold material, 6 ... Electronic filter, 7, 8, 9 ... Optical path.

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A neutral density filter for blocking light traveling from an upper side toward a lower side, a plurality of photodetection elements covered by the neutral density filter and arranged in a lateral direction, and guides the light to the photodetection element. Therefore, a plurality of optical paths formed in the neutral density filter are provided, and the number of optical paths is set to be larger than the number of photodetecting elements, and an optical path group including two or more optical paths is provided for one photodetecting element. A light direction detecting device, characterized in that a corresponding light incident route is provided for each light detecting element. 2. A light-reducing filter having a dome shape, and a cylindrical cavity formed on the inner surface side of the light-reducing filter so as to extend in the radial direction and having a tilt angle corresponding to a predetermined photo-detecting element, The light direction detecting device according to claim 1, wherein each of the optical paths is formed.