Raindrop detecting method and apparatus having temperature-dependent characteristic compensation

A raindrop detecting apparatus comprising:

• a raindrop sensor disposed to sense a raindrop and produce an output data indicative of the sensed raindrop;
• a temperature sensor disposed to sense a temperature around the raindrop sensor and produce a temperature data indicative of the sensed temperature;
• a memory for storing all of the characteristic data as a comparison reference that includes the temperature data and the output data corresponding to the temperature data, which are produced under a no-raindrop condition;
• and
• a processor for detecting a raindrop by comparing a current output data of the raindrop sensor produced from time to time with the latest stored characteristic data.

A raindrop detecting method comprising:

• storing a characteristic data, an output data of a raindrop sensor, and a temperature data of a temperature sensor, wherein all of the characteristic data indicates a temperature-dependent characteristic of the raindrop sensor, the output data is produced under a no-raindrop condition and the temperature data is produced at the same time as the output data;
• converting an output data of the raindrop sensor produced from time to time into converted output data and the stored output data produced under a no-raindrop condition into convened stored output data so that the output data and the stored output data are compared under a same temperature condition;
• and
• detecting a raindrop by comparing the converted output data and the converted stored output data;
• wherein said converting is based on a temperature data produced at the same time as the output data, the stored temperature data and the stored characteristic data.

A raindrop detecting apparatus comprising:

• a raindrop sensor disposed to sense a raindrop and produce an output data indicative of the sensed raindrop;
• a temperature sensor disposed to sense a temperature around the raindrop sensor and produce a temperature data indicative of the sensed temperature;
• a memory for storing a characteristic data, an output data of a raindrop sensor, a temperature data of a temperature sensor, wherein all of the characteristic data indicates a temperature-dependent characteristic of the raindrop sensor, the output data is produced under a no-raindrop condition and the temperature data is also produced at the same time as the output data;
• and
• a processor for converting an output data produced from time to time into converted output data and the stored output data produced under a no-raindrop condition into converted stored output data so that the output data and the stored data are compared under a same temperature condition, and for detecting a raindrop by comparing the convened output data and the converted stored output data,
• wherein the converting is based on a temperature data produced at the same time as the output data, the stored temperature data and the stored characteristic data.