KR20060009664A - Sensor module for detecting a window fogging status - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fogging detection sensor module for vehicle window fogging detection. The fogging detection sensor module detects a glass surface ambient humidity sensor 150 for detecting a humidity around the glass surface of the vehicle, one or more glass surface temperature detection sensor 170 and a vehicle glass surface temperature for detecting the temperature around the vehicle glass surface. A PCB assay 120 to which the glass surface temperature sensor 160 is attached; A thermally conductive member holder 138 for attaching the thermally conductive member 132 adhered to the glass surface temperature sensor 160 on the PCB assay 120 accommodated in the case is protruded, and air is introduced into the holder sidewall. A lower case 130 having a hole 136 formed therein; When combined with the lower case 130 is made of an upper case 110 protruding ribs 112 for close contact with the PCB assay 120 into the lower case 130,

The PCB assay 120 estimates the vehicle interior temperature from the vehicle glass surface ambient temperature and the glass surface temperature, and compares the dew point temperature obtained by calculating the estimated vehicle interior temperature and the vehicle glass surface ambient humidity with the glass surface temperature to detect fogging. And a control unit 200 for selectively outputting a signal.

Glass wool, fogging, heat conduction.

Description

Fogging Detection Sensor Module {SENSOR MODULE FOR DETECTING A WINDOW FOGGING STATUS}

1 is an exploded perspective view of a fogging detection sensor module 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the PCB assay 120 shown in FIG. 1.

3 is a block diagram of devices attached to the PCB assay 120 shown in FIG.

4 is an exemplary diagram illustrating changes in environmental factors for explaining a condition in which fog occurs in a vehicle window.

5 is a comparison of fogging detection characteristics of a fogging detection sensor and a third-party product according to an embodiment of the present invention.

<Description of Symbols for Main Parts of Drawings>

100: fogging detection sensor module 110: upper case

120: PCB assay 130: lower case

140: mount

The present invention relates to vehicle window fogging detection, and more particularly to a fogging detection sensor module for vehicle window fogging detection.

In general, automobiles are equipped with sensors or sensor modules to prevent fogging of the windshield. These sensors or sensor modules, in conjunction with the air conditioning system, automatically remove the fogging that begins to form on the glass surface of the vehicle, allowing the driver to drive safely.

As an example of a sensor device for preventing glass surface fogging, a glass-attached fog sensor patented by Delphi is disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,422,062. The glass-mounted fog sensor includes a glass temperature sensor, a relative humidity sensor, and a vehicle indoor temperature sensor, and the relative humidity sensor and the vehicle indoor temperature sensor are adjacent to each other to calculate a more accurate dew point temperature. Is being measured.

However, the environmental conditions inside the vehicle are different depending on the location. In particular, because the air flow in the vehicle changes more and more irregularly, such as by driving the HVAC (Vehicle Air Conditioning Control), the temperature and humidity measured at one point are not representative of the temperature and humidity of the vehicle interior.

Therefore, the illustrated fog sensor has a high probability of generating an error in predicting the fogging condition of the vehicle glass surface more accurately.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a fogging detection sensor module that can more accurately predict the fogging of the glass surface of the vehicle by acquiring a representative temperature value of the vehicle used for calculating the dew point temperature more accurately.

The fogging detection sensor module according to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object is a glass surface humidity sensor for detecting the ambient humidity of the vehicle glass surface, at least one glass surface temperature sensor and the vehicle for detecting the temperature around the vehicle glass surface A PCB assay to which a glass surface temperature sensor for detecting a glass surface temperature is attached; A lower case in which a thermally conductive member holder for attaching a thermally conductive member adhered to the glass surface temperature sensor of the PCB or higher glass housed in the case is protruded, and an air inlet hole is formed in the sidewall of the holder; When combined with the lower case consists of an upper case protruding ribs for close contact with the PCB assay into the lower case,

In the PCB assay, a vehicle interior temperature is estimated from the vehicle glass surface ambient temperature and the glass surface temperature, and a fogging detection signal is selected by comparing the dew point temperature obtained by calculating the estimated vehicle interior temperature and the humidity around the vehicle glass surface with the glass surface temperature. The control unit for outputting the; characterized in that is further attached.

According to the above-described feature of the present invention, the present invention can more accurately predict the fogging of the vehicle glass surface by setting the indoor temperature value of the vehicle used for the dew point temperature calculation to the average value of the surrounding glass surface temperature and the glass surface temperature.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily understand and reproduce the present invention.

First, the fogging detection sensor according to the embodiment of the present invention is integrated as one module and has a structure attachable to the vehicle glass surface. An exploded perspective view of the fogging detection sensor module 100 is illustrated in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the fogging detection sensor module 100 integrated as one module may be largely separated into an upper case 110, a PCB assay 120, a lower case 130, and a mount 140.

Referring to FIG. 1, first, a thermally conductive member holder 138 protrudes from the center of the upper surface of the lower case 130. In the center of the upper surface of the thermally conductive member holder 138, an attachment groove for attaching the thermally conductive member 132, more specifically, the thermally conductive silicon 132 is formed, and a through hole is formed in the center of the attachment groove. have. In addition, a plurality of air inlet holes 136 are formed on sidewalls of the protruding thermal conductive member holder 138. The air around the glass surface may be transferred to the sensors 150 and 170 positioned in the holder 138 through the air inlet hole 136. And the inside of the lower case 130 is fixed to the PCB assay 120 to be described later and at the same time guide rods used for coupling with the upper case 110 is formed on each rim.

For reference, the thermally conductive silicon 132 is attached to an attachment groove formed in the upper surface of the thermally conductive member holder 138 by an adhesive means such as a double-sided tape. The thermally conductive silicon 132 may be implemented with a steel material having excellent thermal conductivity, but considering the window glass surface is curved, it is preferable to use a soft material (rubber, PVC).

Meanwhile, holes 122 coupled to a plurality of guide rods formed in the lower case 130 are formed at each corner of the PCB assay 120 coupled to the lower case 130. A sensor holder 124 is attached to a center of the PCB assay 120, that is, a position that can be inserted into the thermally conductive member holder 138 protruding from the lower case 130. The glass surface temperature detection sensor 160, which is in direct contact with the thermally conductive silicon 132, is positioned on the sensor holder 124, and the glass surface ambient humidity detection sensor 150 is also positioned. The surrounding glass surface humidity sensor 150 detects the surrounding glass surface humidity of the vehicle by being spaced apart from the thermal conductive silicon 132 by a predetermined distance. Unexplained reference numeral 126 denotes a connector pin for inputting and outputting an electrical signal.

For reference, the configuration and operation characteristics of the glass surface ambient humidity sensor 150 and the glass surface temperature sensor 160 are already disclosed in detail in the "Vehicle Window Fogging Detection Device", which was previously filed by the applicant in 2002. The description of the details will be omitted.

On the other hand, referring to Figure 2 showing the back of the PCB assay 120 it can be seen that another temperature detection sensor 170 is mounted. This sensor serves as a sensor 170 for detecting the ambient temperature of the glass surface and detects the ambient temperature of the glass surface. The glass surface ambient temperature sensor 170 may be located on the PCB assay 120 surface from which the sensor holder 124 protrudes. As shown in FIG. 2, the PCB assay 120 protrudes from the sensor holder 124. ) May be located on the back. An important fact is that it is for detecting the temperature around the glass surface and should not be in contact with the thermally conductive silicon 132.

Hereinafter, the upper case 110 coupled to the lower case 130 coupled to the PCB assay 120 will be coupled to hook grooves of the lower case 130 on the inner sidewall of the upper case 110. As well as a plurality of hooks are formed, ribs 112 are formed in each corner portion and the center.

The ribs 112 are used to press-fix the PCB assay 120 coupled to the guide rods of the lower case 130 in a vertical direction. In particular, the ribs 112 positioned in the center of the sensor holder 124 The upper surface is pressed onto the thermally conductive silicon 132. In addition, at one end of the upper case 110, a connector mounting groove 114 to which a connector formed in the PCB assay 120 is mountable is formed.

Referring to the structure of the fogging detection sensor module 100 as described above, first, the silicon 132, which is a thermally conductive member, is disposed on the upper surface of the thermally conductive member holder 138 protruding from the upper surface of the lower case 130. The PCB assay 120 is coupled to the inside of the lower case 130 to which the silicon 132 is attached. The lower case 130 coupled to the PCB assay 120 is coupled to the upper case 110 by guide rods and hooks, wherein the sensor holder 124 located on the PCB assay 120 is the upper case. Since the thermally conductive silicon 132 is pressed by the ribs 112 protruding therein, the glass surface temperature sensor 160 located on the upper surface of the sensor holder 124 is thermoelectric. It may be pressed onto the conductive silicon 132.

Therefore, the glass surface temperature detection sensor 160 detects and outputs the glass surface temperature, and the glass surface ambient temperature sensor 170 located on the back of the PCB assay 120 changes the air surface in the vehicle. The temperature is detected and output. In addition, ambient glass surface humidity is detected and output through the glass surface ambient humidity detection sensor 150. As such, the MCU 200 that receives the signals output from the sensors 150, 160, and 170 and outputs a fogging detection signal is also mounted and used in the PCB assay 120. Such electronic configuration will be described with reference to FIG. 3. .

Meanwhile, reference numeral 140 not described in FIG. 1 denotes a mount. For convenience of explanation below, the upper / lower case 110/130 and the PCB assay 120 are fully coupled to the fogging detection sensor module 100.

The newly named fogging detection sensor module 100 may be used in combination with the mount 140. Of course, only the fogging detection sensor module 100 without the mount 140 may be used directly attached to the glass surface. In this case, the surface of the lower case 130 to which the thermally conductive silicon 132 is attached should be bonded to the glass surface. If the vehicle window needs to be replaced, the lower case 130 to which the adhesive is attached may be damaged. Replacement may be accompanied by the work hassle to disassemble the module 100 itself.

In order to solve these problems and disadvantages it is desirable to use the mount 140. If the mount 140 is used, there is a convenience in that the module 100 itself can be detached from the mount 140 even when the window is replaced, and the damage of the lower case 130 may be prevented in advance.

Referring to FIG. 1, a through hole 142 is formed at the center of the mount 140 so that the thermally conductive member holder 138 protruding from the lower case 130 can be inserted therein. 144 is formed to be used to couple with the fogging detection sensor module 100. In addition, the surface of the mount 146 and the glass surface may be firmly adhered to each other by attaching a double-sided tape to the mount surface 146 around the through hole 142.

Hereinafter, elements attached to the PCB assay 120 for fogging detection will be described.

First, FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of devices attached to the PCB assay 120 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 illustrates changes in environmental factors for explaining a condition in which fog is generated in a vehicle window. It is an example.

As shown in FIG. 3, the PCB assay 120 includes a glass surface ambient humidity detection sensor 150 for detecting the humidity around the vehicle glass surface, a glass surface temperature detection sensor 160 for detecting the vehicle glass surface temperature, and a vehicle glass surface. A glass surface ambient temperature sensor 170 for detecting the ambient temperature; MCU 200 for generating a fogging detection signal selectively by estimating the vehicle indoor temperature from the vehicle glass surface ambient temperature and the glass surface temperature, and comparing the dew point temperature obtained by calculating the estimated vehicle indoor temperature and vehicle glass surface humidity with the glass surface temperature Is attached. The fogging detection signal generated by the MCU 200 is input to the air conditioning control device 300 to be driven to remove the fogging, and may be output to the alarm display device for alarming the fogging occurrence state.

Hereinafter, the operation of the fogging detection sensor module 100 having the above-described structure and configuration will be described. First, the MCU 200 reads sensor values from each of the sensors 150, 160, and 170 attached to the PCB assay 200. . The sensor value to be read may be the temperature of the vehicle glass surface, the ambient temperature of the vehicle glass surface, and the humidity value around the glass surface according to the sensor type.

When sensor values are read through the sensors 150, 160, and 170, the MCU 200 estimates the indoor temperature of the vehicle by calculating the glass ambient temperature and the glass surface temperature. More specifically, the MCU 200 sets an average value of values obtained by giving weights to the vehicle glass surface temperature and the glass surface temperature, respectively, as the vehicle indoor temperature.

The weight is a value that varies depending on the distance between the glass surface ambient temperature sensor 170 and the vehicle glass surface, and is preferably set to an optimal value by experiment.

In addition, the weight may be given differently depending on the driving state of the HVAC. For example, the indoor temperature of the vehicle may be estimated by giving different weights according to the driving state of the air conditioning control device, such as the glass surface temperature weight value in the first stage, 0.6, 0.5 in the second stage, and 0.4 in the third stage. The reason for doing this is because the indoor air flow appears differently according to the driving of the vehicle air conditioning controller.

)를 산출한다.On the other hand, when the vehicle indoor temperature estimation is completed, the MCU 200 calculates the estimated indoor temperature and the vehicle glass surface humidity previously read by the following Equation 1 to determine the dew point temperature (

) Is calculated.

를 나타낸다.In Equation 1 EW is

Indicates.

)가 산출되면 MCU(200)는 산출된 이슬점 온도(

)를 앞서 리드한 유리면 온도와 비교한다. 비교결과 이슬점 온도 (

)가 유리면 온도 이상의 값을 가지게 되면 MCU(200)는 차량 유리면에 포깅이 발생하는 것으로 예측하여 포깅검출신호를 출력한다. 이러한 포깅검출신호는 예를 들어 차량 공조제어장치(300)로 입력되어 에어컨을 구동시킴으로서, 포그 발생을 사전에 방지할 수 있게 되는 것이다. 경우에 따라서는 윈도우를 개폐하여 포그 방지를 유도할 수도 있을 것이다.Based on the above equation, the dew point temperature (

), The MCU 200 calculates the calculated dew point temperature (

) Is compared with the glass surface temperature previously read. Comparison of dew point temperature (

) Has a value greater than or equal to the glass surface temperature, the MCU 200 predicts that fogging occurs on the vehicle glass surface and outputs a fogging detection signal. Such a fogging detection signal is input to the vehicle air conditioning control device 300 to drive the air conditioner, thereby preventing the generation of fog in advance. In some cases, the window may be opened and closed to induce fog prevention.

)가 유리면 온도 이상의 값을 가지는 구간에서 포깅검출신호를 발생하여 출력함으로서, 차량 유리면에 포그가 발생되는 것을 사전에 예방할 수 있다.That is, the MCU 200 may have a dew point temperature (as shown in FIG. 4).

By generating and outputting a fogging detection signal in a section having a value greater than or equal to the glass surface temperature, it is possible to prevent the generation of fog on the vehicle glass surface.

As described above, the fogging detection sensor module 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention estimates the vehicle interior temperature from the vehicle glass surface temperature and the ambient temperature of the glass surface. Accurate calculations result in a more accurate prediction of the fogging of the vehicle glass surface.

For reference, FIG. 5 illustrates a graph for comparing fogging detection characteristics of a fogging detection sensor and a third-party product according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and a graph located on the upper side shows a dew point using a glass ambient humidity and a vehicle temperature. This is a graph of other company's products compared with the glass surface temperature after calculation, and the graph located at the bottom is compared with the front glass surface temperature by calculating the dew point using the average value of the front glass surface temperature and the ambient temperature in the humidity output. One is its product graph.

In FIG. 5, A, B, and C each monitor zones for monitoring whether the fog is matched based on the fog level 300 at which the actual fog occurs and the theory employed by the company and other companies, respectively. It is shown. Reference numerals 300 and 320 denote front glass surface temperatures and front glass surface humidity, respectively, and 310 denotes the dew point (dew point temperature) of the front glass.

Referring to the graph shown in the upper part of Fig. 5, first, both the company and the other company's products are detected in a fog generation state when the dew point of the front glass exceeds the surface temperature of the front glass. On the assumption of this fact, the monitor zone A shows that the fog level 300 at the point where the dew point of the front glass starts to exceed the surface temperature of the front glass is approximately 50% RH. Fog level 50% RH is a level value that humans can recognize that fog begins to form. Therefore, it can be said that detection of fog occurs in the monitor zone A relatively accurately. However, in Monitor Zone B, the fog level 300 at the point where the dew point of the front glass begins to exceed the surface temperature of the front glass is shown to be about 76% RH. If the fog level 300 is about 76% RH, the fog is already severely formed, and thus the front view cannot be normally secured. Therefore, when the monitor zone B is placed, it cannot be regarded that the fog generation detection is normally performed.

In contrast, looking at monitor zone A, monitor zone B, and monitor zone C in the lower graph, the fog level 300 at points where the dew point of the front glass is above the surface temperature of the front glass has a value of 30% RH or less. have. This proves that the fogging detection sensor of the company's product detects the fog more accurately than the other company's product.

In conclusion, since the present invention estimates the vehicle indoor temperature from the vehicle glass surface temperature and the ambient temperature of the glass surface, the indoor temperature value of the vehicle used for calculating the dew point temperature can be calculated more accurately. The fogging can be predicted more accurately.

As described above, the present invention has an advantage of more accurately detecting a fogging generation environment of the vehicle glass surface by more accurately acquiring a representative indoor temperature value of the vehicle used for the dew point temperature calculation.

On the other hand, the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, which are merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible therefrom. For example, in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, two temperatures are used for estimating the vehicle interior temperature, but if the ambient temperature of the glass surface is detected through a greater number of sensors, more accurate indoor temperature may be estimated. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention should be defined only by the appended claims.

Claims (3)

Glass surface ambient humidity detection sensor 150 for detecting the vehicle glass surface humidity, at least one glass surface temperature sensor 170 for detecting the vehicle glass surface temperature and glass surface temperature detection sensor 160 for detecting the vehicle glass surface temperature PCB assembly 120 to which is attached; A thermally conductive member holder 138 for attaching the thermally conductive member 132 adhered to the glass surface temperature sensor 160 on the PCB assay 120 accommodated in the case is protruded, and air is introduced into the holder sidewall. A lower case 130 having a hole 136 formed therein; When combined with the lower case 130 is made of an upper case 110 protruding ribs 112 for close contact with the PCB assay 120 into the lower case 130, The PCB assay 120 estimates the vehicle interior temperature from the vehicle glass surface ambient temperature and the glass surface temperature, and compares the dew point temperature obtained by calculating the estimated vehicle interior temperature and the vehicle glass surface ambient humidity with the glass surface temperature to detect fogging. The control unit 200 for selectively outputting a signal; Fogging detection sensor module, characterized in that further attached. The fogging detection sensor module of claim 1, wherein the glass surface temperature sensor 160 and one or more glass surface temperature sensors 170 are attached to different surfaces of the PCB assay 120. The fogging detection sensor module of claim 1, wherein the controller estimates an average value of the values obtained by weighting each of at least one vehicle glass surface temperature and the vehicle glass surface temperature as a vehicle interior temperature.

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