Foreign substance detection device, moving body control system including foreign substance detection device, and moving body including moving body control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8941835-B2
Application number	US-201313945029-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2013
Priority date	Jul 30, 2012
Publication date	Jan 27, 2015
Grant date	Jan 27, 2015

Abstract

A foreign substance detection system includes an optical device having an input surface through which is part of light emitted from a light source enters the optical device and a transparent face, provided in close contact with an inner surface of a glass, to transmit a light reflected from an area where a substance is not present on an outer surface of the glass toward a first light-receiving member; a light-guiding member to guide another part of the light that does not pass through the input surface, the guided light being to be reflected from an area where a substance is present on an inner surface of the glass toward a second light-receiving member; and an foreign substance detection processor to detect an outer substance based on the first light-receiving member and detect the inner substance based on the second light-receiving member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A foreign substance detection system, provided close to a planner light-transmissive plane member, to detect substances present on the planner light-transmissive plane member,
the foreign substance detection system comprising:
a light emitting member to emit light toward the inner surface of the planner light-transmissive member;
an optical device, having an input surface through which a part of the light emitted from the light emitting element enters the optical device and a transparent face, provided in close contact with the inner surface of the planner light-transmissive member, to transmit a light reflected from an outer non-substance detected area where a substance is not present on an outer surface of the planner light-transmissive member;
a light-guiding member to guide another part of the light that does not pass through the input surface of the optical device toward the planner light-transmissive member, the guided light being to be reflected from an inner substance detected area where a substance is present on the inner surface of the planner light-transmissive member;
a first light receiving member to receive the light reflected from the outer non-substance detected area where the substance is not present on the outer surface of the planner light-transmissive member and transmitted through the transparent face of the optical device;
a second light receiving member to receive the light guided by the light-guiding member and reflected from the inner substance detected area where the substance is present on the inner surface of the planner light-transmissive member; and
a foreign substance detection processor to detect the substance present on the outer surface of the light-transmissive plane member based on the receiving result of the first light receiving member, and detect the substance present on the inner surface of the planner light-transmissive member based on the receiving result of the second light receiving member.

2. The foreign substance detection system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an imaging device, having a light receiving face, to capture an image of the substance present on the outer surface of the planner light-transmissive member,
wherein the light receiving face comprises an outer surface light receiving region constituting the first light receiving member showing the substances present on the outer surface of the planner light-transmissive member, and
the light receiving face comprises an inner surface light receiving region constituting the second light receiving member different from the outer surface light receiving region.

3. The foreign substance detection system according to claim 2 , wherein the inner surface light receiving region is positioned in an area so as not to receive the light specularly reflected from the outer non-substance detected area where the substance is not present on the outer surface of the planner light-transmissive member.

4. The foreign substance detection system according to claim 2 , wherein the light receiving face of the image capturing device further comprises a captured image receiving region to receive a transmissive light from a predetermined capturing image area showing an area ahead of the foreign substance detection system.

5. The foreign substance detection system according to claim 1 , wherein the light-guiding member comprises a light reflection member to reflect the light that is emitted from the light emitting element and does not enter the inside of the optical device through the input surface.

6. The foreign substance detection system according to claim 5 , wherein the optical device comprises a prism, and the light guiding member comprises one outer face of the prism to reflect the light that is emitted from the light emitting element and is not input to the input surface of the optical device.

7. The foreign substance detection system according to claim 1 , wherein the optical device comprises a reflection face to reflect the light that is emitted from the light emitting element and is input to inside of the optical device through the input surface.

8. The foreign substance detection system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first light receiving member and the second light receiving member comprises a spectral filter to selectively transmit the light of a certain wavelength, emitted from the light emitting element.

9. A moving body controller, installed in a moving body that has at least one operational device, comprising:
at least one control device to control operation of the operational device or movement of the moving body;
a foreign substance detection system positioned close to a window, to detect substances present on the window, operatively connected to the control device,
the foreign substance detection system comprising:
a light emitting element, to emit light toward the inner surface of the window;
an optical device, having an input surface through which a part of light emitted from the light emitting element enters the optical device and a transparent face, provided in close contact with the inner surface of the window, to transmit a light reflected from an outer rim-substance detected area where a substance is not present on an outer surface of the window;
a light-guiding member to guide another part of the light that does not pass through the input surface of the optical device toward the window, the guided light being to be reflected from an inner substance detected area where a substance is present on the inner surface of the window;
a first light receiving member to receive the light reflected from the outer non-substance detected area where the substance is not present on the outer surface of the window and transmitted through the transparent face of the optical device;
a second light receiving member to receive the light guided by the light-guiding member and reflected from the inner substance detected area where the substance is present on the inner surface of the window; and
an foreign substance detection processor to detect the substance present on the outer surface of the window based on the receiving result of the first light receiving member, and detect the substance present on the inner surface of the window based on the receiving result of the second light receiving member, and output the detection result to the control device.

10. A moving body comprising:
a window;
at least one operational device;
a moving body controller comprising:
at least one control device to control operation of the operational device or movement of the moving body;
a foreign substance detection system positioned close to a window, to detect substances present on the window, operatively connected to the control device,
the foreign substance detection system comprising:
a light emitting element, to emit light toward the inner surface of the window;
an optical device, having an input surface through which a part of the light emitted from the light emitting element enters the optical device and a transparent face, provided in close contact with the inner surface of the window, to transmit a light reflected from an outer non-substance detected area where a substance is not present on an outer surface of the window;
a light-guiding member to guide another part of the light that does not pass through the input surface of the optical device toward the window, the guided light being to be reflected from an inner substance detected area where a substance is present on the inner surface of the window;
a first light receiving member to receive the light reflected from the outer non-substance detected area where the substance is not present on the outer surface of the wi

Assignees

• Hirai Hideaki
• Itoh Izumi
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hirai Hideaki
• Itoh Izumi

Classifications

• G01N21/552 Primary

  Attenuated total reflection · CPC title

• B60S1/0844 Primary

  including a camera · CPC title

• G06K9/00791

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06V20/56

  exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle · CPC title