149 results about "Rain intensity" patented technology

A moisture sensor is provided that simultaneously achieves ruggedness, sensitivity, wide dynamic range, versatility of application, and low cost. The outer, top service of the sensor is a lens having a predetermined geometric shape which preferably makes the rain sensor resistant to the build up of debris on the outer surface as well as being effectively self-cleaning. Within a housing of the rain sensor, at least one light emitter and at least one light detector are each deployed on a substantially planar circuit board facing such outer lens surface. So arranged, light rays from the at least one emitter strike the outer lens surface and is reflected about 90°, whereupon it strikes the outer lens surface once more and is again reflected therefrom about 90° to focus back onto the at least one detector. Raindrops present on the outside surface of the sensor affect the intensity of the light rays reflected and signals from the at least one light detector are sent to control circuitry within the rain sensor. A microprocessor in the sensor processes the resulting data to detect rain intensity over a wide range so as to be capable of being effectively deployed for applications such as to emulate a tipping bucket style rain detector, providing condensation sensing, and automatically adjusting the strength of the light rays emitted by the at least one light emitter to provide improved consistency of operation of the sensor over time.

There is provided an optical raindrop detector including a light source, a light guide, an image sensor and a processing unit. The light source alternatively emits light with different brightness values. The light guide has an incident surface, a detection surface and an ejection surface, wherein the light source emits incident light into the light guide via the incident surface, and a plurality of microstructures are formed on the ejection surface to reflect the incident light to become scattered light toward the detection surface. The image sensor receives reflected light formed by raindrops in front of the detection surface reflecting the scattered light to penetrate the light guide and eject from the ejection surface, and generates image frames corresponding to the different brightness values of the light source. The processing unit calculates differential images of the image frames to accordingly identify rain intensity.