Photodetector with improved appearance design and vehicle including photodetector of the same comprising a plurality of electronic components mounted on a light receiving surface side of a printed circuit board

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11768103-B2
Application number	US-202217701585-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2022
Priority date	Mar 24, 2021
Publication date	Sep 26, 2023
Grant date	Sep 26, 2023

Abstract

A photodetector including: a case including a light receiving surface provided on an upper surface and having a first region that transmits visible light and a second region that transmits less visible light than the first region; a printed circuit board provided to face the light receiving surface; and a plurality of electronic components provided on a light receiving surface side of the printed circuit board and including a first light receiving element configured to detect visible light. The first light receiving element is disposed at a first position of the printed circuit board exposed to the visible light transmitted through the first region. The number of mounted electronic components disposed at the first position is smaller than the number of mounted electronic components disposed at a second position of the printed circuit board other than the first position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A photodetector to be installed in a vehicle, the photodetector comprising:
a case comprising a light receiving surface provided on an upper surface, the light receiving surface having a first region that transmits visible light and a second region that transmits less visible light than the first region;
a printed circuit board mounted to face the light receiving surface; and
a plurality of electronic components mounted on a light receiving surface side of the printed circuit board, the plurality of electronic components comprising a first light receiving element configured to detect visible light,
wherein the first light receiving element is disposed at a first position of the printed circuit board, the first position being exposed to the visible light transmitted through the first region, and the number of mounted electronic components disposed at the first position is smaller than the number of mounted electronic components disposed at a second position of the printed circuit board, the second position being other than the first position.

2. The photodetector according to claim 1 ,
wherein only the first light receiving element among the plurality of electronic components is disposed at the first position when viewed from a driver's seat of the vehicle.

3. The photodetector according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second light receiving element configured to detect light rays other than visible light,
wherein the second region transmits the light rays other than visible light, and
wherein the second light receiving element is disposed at the second position.

4. A vehicle comprising the photodetector according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Shimizu Go
• Maeda Keisuke
• Mai Takashi
• Ono Kotaro
• Suzuki Takayuki
• Chikazawa Satoshi
• Honda Motor Co Ltd
• Nidec Mobility Corporation

Inventors

• Shimizu Go
• Maeda Keisuke
• Mai Takashi
• Ono Kotaro
• Suzuki Takayuki
• Chikazawa Satoshi

Classifications

• G01J1/0214 Primary

  Constructional arrangements for removing stray light · CPC title

• B60Q1/1423

  Automatic dimming circuits, i.e. switching between high beam and low beam due to change of ambient light or light level in road traffic · CPC title

• G01J1/0204

  Compact construction · CPC title

• G01J1/4204 Primary

  with determination of ambient light (solar light G01J2001/4266) · CPC title

• G01J1/42 Primary

  using electric radiation detectors (optical or mechanical part G01J1/04; by comparison with a reference light or electric value G01J1/10) · CPC title