Device and method for monitoring the presence of an object in space
US5018447A · kind A · utility
6Cited by
4References
15Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 3, 1990 |
| Grant date | May 28, 1991 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 3, 2010 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF42C13/02
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An optically transparent cylinder having a hemispherical cavity at one end hereof and containing at least one light source and one light detector inside the hemispherical cavity utilizes the prismatic effect of the cylinder to locate an object in space. The light source and detector are located on a disk whose insertion depth into the cavity and tilt angle inside the cavity can be varied to control the sharpness, width and direction of the conical beam output from the cylinder, the beam searching the space for the location of the desired object.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.