Combined headlamp and climate control sensor having a light diffuser and a light modulator

A system for use in a vehicle for producing an electrical signal responsive to the magnitude and spectral composition of ambient light:, including sunlight, the electrical signal being correlated to the ambient light in accordance with a spectral characteristic corresponding to that of a human eye, the electrical signal further being responsive to the position of the sun, the system comprising:

• means for installing the system on the vehicle in a predetermined orientation at a location which is subjected to the sunlight;
• a light-responsive element having a light-sensitive optical input for producing at an electrical output thereof an electrical signal responsive to illumination by a light received at said light-sensitive optical input;
• light diffuser means having a diffuser input for receiving an ambient input light and a diffuser output for producing a diffused output light which is scattered in many directions unrelated to a direction of incidence of the light input, said light diffuser means having a predetermined spectral characteristic corresponding to that of the human eye;
• and
• light modulator means for reducing the intensity of the ambient input light striking said light diffuser means from predetermined angular directions so as to determine the angular sensitivity of the system.

A headlamp and climate control system element for a vehicle for producing headlamp and climate control signals responsive to incidence of ambient light, the headlamp and climate control system element comprising:

• light diffuser means having a diffuser input for receiving the incident ambient light and a diffuser output for producing diffused output light which is scattered in many directions unrelated to a direction of incidence of the light input, said light diffuser means having a predetermined spectral characteristic whereby the diffuser output light corresponds to the ambient light modified in accordance with the predetermined spectral characteristic of said light diffuser means;
• photodetector means having a light input for receiving the diffused output light and an output terminal for providing an output electrical signal responsive to the diffused output light, said light sensor means having a predetermined photodetector spectral characteristic whereby the output electrical signal corresponds to a response characteristic applied to the ambient light which corresponds to that of a human eye;
• light modulator means for reducing the intensity of the ambient input light striking said light diffuser means from predetermined angular directions so as to determine the angular sensitivity of the system;
• lamp control means coupled to the output terminal of said photodetector means for controlling the headlamp in response to the incident ambient input light;
• and
• climate control means coupled to the output terminal of said photodetector means for controlling the climate in response to the incident ambient input light.