The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 23, 1996
Filed:
May. 24, 1994
Fridolin Wiget, Neuchatel, CH;
Asulab S.A., Bienne, CH;
Abstract
An ultrasonic detection device having a transducer (10) for emitting and receiving ultrasonic pulses through a windshield, and producing an echo signal (40,50) representative of the reflected pulses. The detection device also includes an amplifier (23) for amplifying the echo signals (40,50) by a selectable gain, an integrating circuit (26) for integrating each of the echo signals (40,50) during a selected time period (62,63) so as to produce an integral value, amplifier control circuitry (27,28) measuring the integral value and selecting the gain of the amplifier so as to maintain the integral value at a steady-state value, and the temporal deviation of the integral value from the steady-state value is measured to determine if it is greater than a predetermined threshold value. The invention may be used to detect water on a windscreen and to control the operation of a windscreen cleaning system.