Device for a motor vehicle including an optical area sensor having an optical semiaxis and an optical system having an aperture angle and use of the device in a vehicle

A method of using a device in a motor vehicle, the device including an optical area sensor;

• an optical semiaxis;
• an entrance pupil;
• and an optical element including at least one pair of parallel surfaces, wherein the optical element has a refractive index which decreases as a distance from a center of the optical element increases at least along a direction in parallel to the parallel surfaces at least between one edge of the optical element and the center of the optical element, and the optical element is situated with respect to the area sensor in such a way that the parallel surfaces are situated perpendicularly to the optical semiaxis, the vehicle having a vertical axis and a windshield, the method comprising:
• arranging the device so that the optical semiaxis crosses the windshield and is inclined in relation to a normal of the windshield at an angle different from 0° and from 90°, wherein the direction lies in a plane spanned by the optical semiaxis and the normal.