Cushman Darby & Cushman IP Group of Pillsbury Madison & Sutro LLP
Sunlight sensor
 A sunlight sensor is provided which detects sunlight by means of a semiconductor device and achieves the desired elevation angle characteristics. The sunlight sensor is implemented as a semiconductor device having p+ layers 10 and 11 as a light-responsive section and an n+ or n layer 9 as a light-nonresponsive section, and additionally having a light-detection element 2 which outputs a detection signal responsive to the amount of light received by the p+ layers 10 and 11. A light-transparent molding 4 is provided at least over the light-detection element 2, and additionally a light-cutoff mask 5 is provided on the transparent molding 4. The relative positions of the light-cutoff mask, the p+ layers 10 and 11, and the n+ or n layer 9 are then established. By doing this, of the shadow of the light-cutoff mask 5 which is created when incident sunlight 13 and 14 strikes the light-detection element, the surface area of at least the part of the shadow which falls on the p+ layers 10 and 11 and the part of the shadow that falls on the n+ or n layer 9 are controlled so as to obtain the desired elevation angle characteristics. 
Nippondenso Co., Ltd.
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Kenichi Inao Koki Yasutoshi Yukio
Yokoyama Toyoda Mizuno Suzuki Tsuzuki