Sensor assembly for a motor vehicle and motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention is directed at a sensor assembly (10) for a motor vehicle (32), comprising a housing (12), a camera sensor module (14) with a camera sensor (16), and a rain sensor module (18) with at least two transmitter-receiver pairs, each pair comprising a transmitter diode (22) and a receiver (24), wherein the transmitter diode (22) is configured to transmit light along an optical path (28.1, 28.2) towards the receiver (24) and wherein the receiver (24) is configured to receive the light from the transmitter diode (22). Therein, the camera sensor (16) and the transmitter-receiver pairs are integrated into the housing (12), wherein the transmitter diode (22) and the receiver (24) of a respective transmitter-receiver pair are arranged on opposing sides of the camera sensor (16), such that the optical path (28.1, 28.2) of the respective transmitter-receiver pair crosses a field of view (30) of the camera sensor (16).

Description

[0001] Sensor assembly for a motor vehicle and motor vehicle

[0002] The invention relates to a sensor assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising a camera sensor module and a rain sensor module. A further aspect of the invention relates to a motor vehicle with such a sensor assembly.

[0003] Rain sensor modules are widely used in motor vehicles, in particular in order to determine an amount of rain on a windshield of a respective motor vehicle. According to the determined amount of rain, a windshield wiper of the motor vehicle can be operated. Such rain sensor modules often comprise a transmitter-receiver pair, wherein a transmitter diode and a photosensitive receiver are connected by a light-guiding element, for example by a window pane of the windshield. Light may be emitted by the transmitter of a respective transmitter-receiver pair, coupled into the light-guiding element, for example the window pane, wherein the light may be guided within the window pane via total reflection at bounding surfaces of the window pane along an optical path of the transmitter-receiver pair, and received by the corresponding receiver. The light-guiding element may perform multiple total reflections on the light along the optical path between transmitter and receiver. In case the window pane of the windshield is used as lightguiding element, the light may be totally reflected at window-air interfaces, in particular because the refractive index of the glass forming the window pane is higher than the refractive index of air. If, however, a drop of water is present on a surface of the window pane of the windshield, the amount of light emitted by the transmitter will differ from the amount of light received by the receiver due to refraction of a part of the emitted light at the glass-water-boundary out of the window pane.

[0004] It is noted, that in the present context, the term “light” may be understood such that it comprises electromagnetic waves in the visible range, in the infrared range and / or in the ultraviolet range. Accordingly, the expression “optical” may be understood to be related to light according to this meaning.

[0005] Often, a rain sensor module of the above-described type is integrated into a combined sensor system of the motor vehicle, for example into a rain-light-temperature sensor system (RLT-sensor system). Such a system may be arranged on the window pane of a windshield of the motor vehicle and may also comprise a camera sensor. The camera sensor may comprise a field of view (FoV) of 50 degrees, 100 degrees or even more, for example 120 degrees. Depending on the FoV, the camera sensor may occupy a significant space within the RLT-sensor system, not leaving much space for the rain sensor module.

[0006] In order to be able to integrate the rain sensor module into the RLT-sensor system, DE 10 2021 109 171 A1 proposes to arrange the transmitter and the receiver of the transmitter-receiver pair along different sides of the camera sensor, such that an optical path of the of the transmitter-receiver pair crosses a cover of the camera sensor. Accordingly, the optical path covers a distance d, which is equal to the width of the cover of the camera sensor. Due to its shortness, measurements along the optical path are not very reliable.

[0007] WO 2022 / 243400 A1 describes the use of multiple rain sensors with multiple light guides and receivers in combination with a camera device, wherein the rain sensors are arranged at least partially in the field of view of the camera device and wherein the receivers guide the received light to the camera device. The camera device analyzes multiple light beams received from the multiple receivers. Individual analysis devices for each individual light beam may not be required. This solution requires advanced analysis components within the camera device.

[0008] It is an object of the present invention to provide a compact sensor assembly with a camera sensor module and a rain sensor module with improved measuring accuracy and reliability.

[0009] The object is solved by the subject-matter of the independent claims. Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are described by the independent claims, the following description and the figures.

[0010] The invention is directed at a sensor assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising

[0011] - a housing,

[0012] - a camera sensor module with a camera sensor, and

[0013] - a rain sensor module with at least two transmitter-receiver pairs.

[0014] According to the invention, each transmitter-receiver pair comprises a transmitter diode and a photosensitive receiver, wherein the transmitter diode is configured to emit or transmit light along an optical path towards the photosensitive receiver and wherein the photosensitive receiver is configured to receive the light from the transmitter diode.

[0015] Further, the camera sensor and the transmitter-receiver pairs are integrated into the housing, wherein the transmitter diode and the photosensitive receiver of a respective transmitter-receiver pair are arranged on opposing sides of the camera sensor, preferably outside a field of view of the camera sensor, such that the optical path of the respective transmitter-receiver pair crosses a field of view of the camera sensor. The crossing of the camera sensor means, that there is no interference between the light used by the rain sensor module and the light used by the camera sensor module. Thus, both modules can operate with light in the same wavelength, which increases the number of possible use cases for the sensor assembly.

[0016] The optical path may be defined by a light-guiding element, such as a glass fiber or a glass plate or the like. The light-guiding element may also be provided at least partially by a window pane of a windshield or any other window of the motor vehicle, if the sensor assembly is mounted in the motor vehicle. In other words, the sensor assembly may be mounted at a window pane of a windshield or any other window of the motor vehicle. In the mounted state, the window glass of the window may be used at least partially as lightguiding element. In the mounted state, light emitted or transmitted by the transmitter may be guided towards the window such as to couple the light into the window. The transmitter can be implemented as a light emitting diode (LED). Optionally, the light-guiding element of the rain sensor module may be integrated in the window pane of the window of the motor vehicle in the mounted state.

[0017] In the mounted state, the window may reflect the received light on its inside and thereby guide the light towards the receiver. When no rain is present on the window, the window may perform multiple total reflections on the light along the optical path between the transmitter and the receiver of a respective transmitter-receiver pair. The light may be totally reflected at window-air interfaces, because the refractive index of the glass forming the window is higher than that of air. The refractive index of the receiver is preferably higher than that of the window glass. As a result, at the window-receiver interface, the light leaves the window and is coupled into the receiver. If, however, a drop of water is present on a surface of the window pane of the window, the amount of light emitted by the transmitter will differ from the amount of light received by the receiver due to refraction of a part of the emitted light at the glass-water-boundary out of the window pane. The receiver may be a photoelectric receiver, a photodiode, an inverted LED or any other light sensitive opto-electronic element. The receiver can for example detect the amount of light incident on the receiver. Depending on the amount of rain or water present on the window, the transmission of light by the window varies. This may be taken by the receiver or a determination unit of the rain sensor module as an indication for rain.

[0018] The rain sensor module and the camera sensor module being different components is advantageous in that the rain sensor module does not need to be optically synchronized with the camera sensor module. According to the invention, the camera sensor itself is not used for the detection of rain. The sensor assembly is compact, because the components or elements of the rain sensor module and the components or elements of the camera sensor module are integrated into a common housing. Due to the fact that the sensor assembly comprises at least two transmitter-receiver pairs, wherein a transmitter and a receiver of a respective transmitter-receiver pair are arranged on opposing sides of the camera sensor, preferably of the camera shutter, the length of the optical path of the rain sensor module in total is at least twice as long as in a comparable assembly with only one transmitter-receiver pair. Thus, measuring accuracy and reliability is advantageously increased over the known sensor assemblies.

[0019] As the optical path of a respective transmitter-receiver pair according to the invention crosses the field of view of the camera sensor and not only the cover of the camera sensor, the measuring distance along the optical path of the respective transmitterreceiver pair is further increased compared to the known solutions, which leads to even higher accuracy and reliability of the measurements.

[0020] The invention comprises further embodiments, through which additional advantages arise.

[0021] According to an embodiment, the transmitter diodes and the receivers of the at least two transmitter-receiver pairs are arranged such that the optical paths of the at least two transmitter-receiver pairs both cross the field of view of the camera sensor and at least partially overlap. In the overlapping area, measuring accuracy is further increased.

[0022] Preferably, the optical paths of the at least two transmitter-receiver pairs intersect at an angle between 0 and 90 degrees. In other words, the transmitters and receivers may be arranged around the camera sensor or the camera shutter of the camera sensor module. Specifically, a first transmitter of a first of the transmitter-receiver pairs may be arranged above the camera sensor, whereas a first receiver of the first of the transmitter-receiver pairs may be arranged opposite, that is below the camera sensor. A second transmitter of a second of the transmitter-receiver pairs may be arranged in an angle of 90 degrees with respect to the first transmitter, that is for example on a left side of the camera sensor, whereas a second receiver of the second transmitter-receiver pair may be arranged opposite, that is on the right side of the camera sensor. Like this, a very compact sensor assembly can be provided, wherein the overlapping area of the optical paths of the engaged transmitter-receiver pairs is especially large.

[0023] According to a further embodiment, the housing comprises on the opposing sides of the camera sensor inclined surfaces which converge in the direction of the camera sensor, wherein

[0024] - on a first of the opposing sides of the camera sensor, a transmitter of a first of the at least two transmitter-receiver pairs and a receiver of a second of the at least two transmitter-receiver pairs is arranged, and

[0025] - on a second of the opposing sides of the camera sensor, a transmitter of the second of the at least two transmitter-receiver pairs and a receiver of the first of the at least two transmitter-receiver pairs is arranged, wherein the receiver of a respective transmitter-receiver pair is longitudinally elongated and aligned with a longer axis of its longitudinally elongated shape parallel to one of the inclined surfaces. The inclination of the elongated receiver provides a further optimization of the compact geometry of the sensor assembly, while the overlapping area of the optical paths of the transmitter-receiver pairs is further increased, leading to an increased measuring accuracy and reliability.

[0026] Preferably, the camera sensor is arranged centrally in the housing. Like this, the assembly space on all sides of the camera sensor is approximately the same, thus allowing for the integration of the components or elements of the rain sensor module along all sides of the camera sensor.

[0027] According to an embodiment, the receiver of each transmitter-receiver pair comprises an array of photosensitive elements and / or a single elongated photo diode. The receiver of each transmitter-receiver pair preferably has a maximum length of one centimeter. The single receivers may have different lengths, wherein the maximum length is one centimeter.

[0028] According to a further embodiment, the rain sensor module comprises for each transmitter-receiver pair a diffusor, which is arranged in front of the transmitter diode of a respective transmitter-receiver pair and which is designed to diffuse light emitted by the transmitter diode of the respective transmitter-receiver pair along the optical path towards the receiver of the respective transmitter-receiver pair. Preferably, the rain sensor module comprises for each transmitter-receiver pair a collimating or bundling optical element for bundling the received light.

[0029] The diffusor may adjust the divergence of the light beams transmitted by the transmitter. To diffuse the light, the transmitter may include a lens, especially a Fresnel lens, a holographic element, a prism, Blaze gratings, diffraction gratings and / or freeform optics or the like. The collimating or bundling optical element may also be a lens, especially a Fresnel lens, a holographic element, a prism, Blaze gratings, diffraction gratings and / or freeform optics or the like. Preferably, the collimating or bundling optical element may be identical to the diffusor but inverted. The light received at the receiver then follows the inverse path from the path followed at the transmitter.

[0030] According to a further embodiment, the rain sensor module comprises a light-guiding element, which is designed to guide the light emitted or transmitted by the transmitter diode towards the receiver of a respective transmitter-receiver pair, wherein a determination unit of the rain sensor module is designed to determine an amount of rain along a surface of the light-guiding element based on the light received by the receiver. As described, the light-guiding element may comprise a glass fiber or a glass plate. The lightguiding element may be configured to be integrated into a window pane or window glass of a window of the motor vehicle, for example of the windshield of the motor vehicle. The determination unit may be configured to determine the amount of rain on the window pane of the motor vehicle.

[0031] The analysis of the received measurement light can be a determination of the intensity of the received measurement light and / or of an incidence angle of the received measurement light on the receiver, in particular as a function of time. The determination unit may be connected to the receiver such that the receiver transmits the received measurement light to the determination unit. If the receiver includes a photo diode, the receiver may transmit an electric current to the determination unit, which is proportional to the received measurement light. The determination unit may determine the amount of rain as a digital signal. The determination unit may, in the mounted state of the sensor assembly in the vehicle, be connected to a processing unit of the motor vehicle. The determination unit may communicate the digital signal to the processing unit, which in turn may display the amount of rain on a screen within a passenger compartment of the vehicle and / or control a windshield wiper system and / or a climate system of the motor vehicle based on the determined amount of rain.

[0032] Preferably, the sensor assembly comprises a control device for electrically powering and / or controlling

[0033] - the transmitter diode and / or the receiver of a respective transmitter-receiver pair and / or

[0034] - the camera sensor. In other words, the rain sensor module and the camera sensor module may share a common control device, thus reducing an amount of assembly space required for the sensor assembly.

[0035] A further aspect of the invention is directed at a motor vehicle with a sensor assembly of the described type, wherein the sensor assembly is integrated into a combined rain-light- temperature sensor system of the motor vehicle, which is arranged on a windshield of the motor vehicle. In other words, the sensor assembly is arranged at the windshield of the motor vehicle. Preferably, the glass pane of the windshield provides at least in sections the light-guiding element for guiding light emitted or transmitted by the transmitter diode towards the receiver of a respective transmitter-receiver pair of the sensor assembly.

[0036] Preferably, the motor vehicle comprises a processing unit, which is designed to receive from the determination unit of the sensor assembly data describing an amount of rain on the windshield based on the light received by at least one of the receivers. The processing unit may be a printed circuit board.

[0037] According to an embodiment of the motor vehicle, the processing unit is designed to control a windshield wiper system and / or a climate system of the motor vehicle based on the determined amount of rain on the windshield.

[0038] The motor vehicle can be a passenger car, a truck, a passenger bus or also a motorcycle.

[0039] The preferred embodiments presented with reference to the sensor assembly according to the invention and the advantages thereof correspondingly apply to all of the further aspects of the invention and vice versa.

[0040] With the indications of "top", "bottom", "front", "rear", "horizontal", "vertical", "depth direction", "width direction", "height direction", “right”, “left” etc., the positions and orientations given in intended use and intended arrangement of the of the sensor assembly in the mounted state in the motor vehicle are specified. Further features of the invention are apparent from the claims, the figures and the description of figures. The features and feature combinations mentioned above in the description as well as the features and feature combinations mentioned below in the description of figures and / or shown in the figures alone are usable not only in the respectively specified combination, but also in other combinations without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus, implementations are also to be considered as encompassed and disclosed by the invention, which are not explicitly shown in the figures and explained, but arise from and can be generated by separated feature combinations from the explained implementations. Implementations and feature combinations are also to be considered as disclosed, which thus do not comprise all of the features of an originally formulated independent claim. Moreover, implementations and feature combinations are to be considered as disclosed, in particular by the implementations set out above, which extend beyond or deviate from the feature combinations set out in the relations of the claims.

[0041] Below, embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail based on schematic drawings.

[0042] There show:

[0043] Fig. 1 a schematic drawing of a sensor assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Fig. 2 a further schematic drawing of a sensor assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein optical paths of the shown transmitter-receiver pairs and a field of view of the shown camera sensor are indicated; and

[0045] Fig. 3 a schematic drawing of a motor vehicle with a sensor assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] In the figures, identical or functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference characters. Fig. 1 shows a schematic drawing of a sensor assembly 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The sensor assembly 10 comprises a housing 12, a camera sensor module 14 with a camera sensor 16 and a rain sensor module 18 with at least two transmitter-receiver pairs, each comprising a transmitter diode 22 and a photosensitive receiver 24.

[0047] The transmitter 22 of a first of the transmitter-receiver pairs and the receiver 24 of the other of the transmitter-receiver pairs may be arranged inside a common sensor arrangement 20, for example inside a common sensor housing. The common sensor housing may be adapted to an elongated shape of the respective receiver 24, as shown in Fig. 1 , where the common sensor arrangement 20 is indicated by a dashed line.

[0048] The sensor assembly 10 of Fig. 1 shows a housing 12 with inclined surfaces 26.1 , 26.2, which converge in the direction of the camera sensor 16. In other words, the inclined surfaces 26.1 and 26.2 point towards the camera sensor 16, which is arranged centrally in the common housing 12. The inclined surfaces 26.1 , 26.2 define boundaries of the field of view 30 (see Fig. 2) of the camera sensor 16.

[0049] In order to optimize the use of present assembly space within the common housing 12 and in order to optimize the measuring accuracy and reliability of the rain sensor module 18 at the same time, the common sensor housings 20 may be arranged such that a respective elongated receiver 24 is aligned with a longer axis of its longitudinally elongated shape parallel to one of the inclined surfaces 26.1 , 26.2.

[0050] Fig. 2 shows a further schematic drawing of a sensor assembly 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, wherein optical paths 28.1 , 28.2 of the shown transmitter-receiver pairs and a field of view 30 of the shown camera sensor 16 are indicated by hatched or shaded areas. The components shown in Fig. 2 are comparable to those described in the context of Fig. 1 .

[0051] Fig. 2 shows how the optical paths 28.1 and 28.2 cross the field of view 30 of the camera sensor 16, thereby making use of the relatively large surface in front of the camera sensor 16. In this assembly, the area, which can be used for arranging a light-guiding element 34 (see Fig. 3) between the transmitter 22 and the receiver 24 of a respective transmitterreceiver pair is significantly larger than in the known solutions, where a crossing of the field of view 30 of the camera sensor 16 is avoided, and where only a camera cover is crossed by the optical path of the used transmitter-receiver pair, instead. Fig. 3 shows a schematic drawing of a motor vehicle 32 with a sensor assembly 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The sensor assembly 10 may be integrated into a RLT sensor system of the motor vehicle 10 and may be mounted along a windshield 34 of the motor vehicle 32. The sensor assembly 10 may be arranged along the windshield 34 such that the camera sensor 16 is directed towards an environment of the moto vehicle 10, thus capturing images of the environment through the windshield 23, wherein parts of the environment can be captured, which lie within the field of view 30 of the camera sensor 16.

[0052] In the mounted state, parts of the window pane of the windshield 34 may be used as lightguiding element to guide measurement light from a transmitting diode 22 of a respective transmitter-receiver pair to the photosensitive receiver 24 of the transmitter-receiver pair.

[0053] In other words, light emitted by the transmitter 22 may be coupled into the window pane of the windshield 34 of the motor vehicle 10 and guided via several total reflections along the glass-air interfaces between the window pane and the air surrounding it towards the corresponding receiver 24. If rain in the form of drops of water is present on the windshield 34 of the motor vehicle 32, parts of the light might be refracted at the glasswater interface out of the light-guiding window pane. In this case, the intensity of the received measurement light, which will be received by the receiver 24, may differ from the intensity of the transmitted measurement light.

[0054] The analysis of the received measurement light can be a determination of the intensity of the received measurement light and / or of an incidence angle of the received measurement light on the receiver 24, in particular as a function of time. For the analysis, the sensor assembly 10 may comprise or be connected to a determination unit 36. The determination unit 36 may be connected to the receiver 24 such that the receiver 24 transmits the received measurement light to the determination unit 36. If the receiver 24 includes a photo diode, the receiver 24 may transmit an electric current to the determination unit 36, which is proportional to the intensity of the received measurement light. The determination unit 36 may determine the amount of rain on the window pane of the windshield 34, i.e. drops of water, as a digital signal.

[0055] The determination unit 36 may, in the mounted state of the sensor assembly 10 in the motor vehicle 32, be connected to a processing unit 38 of the motor vehicle 10. The determination unit 36 may communicate the digital signal to the processing unit 38 , which in turn may display the amount of rain on a screen within a passenger compartment of the vehicle 32 and / or control a windshield wiper system and / or a climate system of the motor vehicle 32 based on the determined amount of rain. In other words, the processing unit 38 may be integrated into or connected to an electronic vehicle guidance system of the motor vehicle 32, which is designed to control amongst other vehicle functions the windshield wiper system and / or the climate system of the motor vehicle 32.

[0056] The examples show, how the integration of a rain sensor module and a camera sensor module of a sensor assembly in a common housing, wherein optical paths of transmitterreceiver pairs of the rain sensor module cross a field of view of a camera sensor of the camera sensor module, can increase the measuring accuracy and reliability of rain detection, while keeping the sensor assembly compact and not increasing the number of used components.

Claims

Claims1 . Sensor assembly (10) for a motor vehicle (32), comprising- a housing (12),- a camera sensor module (14) with a camera sensor (16), and- a rain sensor module (18) with at least two transmitter-receiver pairs, each pair comprising a transmitter diode (22) and a photosensitive receiver (24), wherein the transmitter diode (22) is configured to emit or transmit light along an optical path (28.1 , 28.2) towards the photosensitive receiver (24) and wherein the photosensitive receiver (24) is configured to receive the light from the transmitter diode (22), wherein the camera sensor (16) and the transmitter-receiver pairs are integrated into the housing (12), wherein the transmitter diode (22) and the receiver (24) of a respective transmitter-receiver pair are arranged on opposing sides of the camera sensor (16), such that the optical path (28.1 , 28.2) of the respective transmitterreceiver pair crosses a field of view (30) of the camera sensor (16).

2. Sensor assembly (10) according to claim 1 , wherein the transmitter diodes (22) and the receivers (24) of the at least two transmitter-receiver pairs are arranged such that the optical paths (28.1 , 28.2) of the at least two transmitter-receiver pairs both cross the field of view (30) of the camera sensor (16) and at least partially overlap.

3. Sensor assembly (10) according to claim 2, wherein the optical paths (28.1 , 28.2) of the at least two transmitter-receiver pairs intersect at an angle between 0 and 90 degrees.

4. Sensor assembly (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (12) comprises on the opposing sides of the camera sensor (16) inclined surfaces (26.1 , 26.2), which converge in the direction of the camera sensor (16), wherein- on a first of the opposing sides of the camera sensor (16), a transmitter (22) of a first of the at least two transmitter-receiver pairs and a receiver (24) of a second of the at least two transmitter-receiver pairs is arranged, and- on a second of the opposing sides of the camera sensor (16), a transmitter (22) of the second of the at least two transmitter-receiver pairs and a receiver (24) of the first of the at least two transmitter-receiver pairs is arranged, wherein the receiver (24) of a respective transmitter-receiver pair is longitudinally elongated and aligned with a longer axis of its longitudinally elongated shape parallel to one of the inclined surfaces (26.1 , 26.2).

5. Sensor assembly (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the camera sensor (16) is arranged centrally in the housing (12).

6. Sensor assembly (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the receiver (24) of each transmitter-receiver pair comprises an array of photosensitive elements and / or a single elongated photo diode.

7. Sensor assembly (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the receiver (24) of each transmitter-receiver pair has a maximum length of 1 centimeter.

8. Sensor assembly (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the rain sensor module (18) comprises for each transmitter-receiver pair a diffusor, which is arranged in front of the transmitter diode (22) of a respective transmitter-receiver pair and which is designed to diffuse light emitted by the transmitter diode (22) of the respective transmitter-receiver pair along the optical path (28.1 , 28.2) towards the receiver (24) of the respective transmitter-receiver pair.

9. Sensor assembly (10) according to claim 8, wherein the diffusor comprises at least one of a lens, especially a Fresnel lens, a holographic element, a prism, Blaze gratings, diffraction gratings, freeform optics.

10. Sensor assembly (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the rain sensor module (18) comprises a light-guiding element (34), which is designed to guide the light emitted or transmitted by the transmitter diode (22) towards thereceiver (24) of a respective transmitter-receiver pair, wherein a determination unit (36) of the rain sensor module (18) is designed to determine an amount of rain along a surface of the light-guiding element (34) based on the light received by the receiver (24).11 . Sensor assembly (10) according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a control device for electrically powering and / or controlling- the transmitter diode (22) and / or the receiver (24) of a respective transmitterreceiver pair and / or- the camera sensor (16).

12. Motor vehicle (32) with a sensor assembly (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the sensor assembly (10) is integrated into a combined rain-light- temperature sensor system, which is arranged on a windshield (34) of the motor vehicle (32).

13. Motor vehicle (32) according to claim 12, wherein the glass pane of the windshield (34) provides at least in sections the light-guiding element (34) for guiding light emitted or transmitted by the transmitter diode (22) towards the receiver (24) of a respective transmitter-receiver pair of the sensor assembly (10).

14. Motor vehicle (32) according to any of claims 12 or 13, comprising a processing unit (38), which is designed to receive from the determination unit (36) data describing an amount of rain on the windshield (34) based on the light received by at least one of the receivers (24).

15. Motor vehicle (32) according to claim 14, wherein the processing unit (38) is designed to control a windshield wiper system and / or a climate system of the motor vehicle (32) based on the determined amount of rain on the windshield (34).

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