Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for the detection of defective light transmitters and/or receivers of a light grid for detecting objects in a surveillance area

US5583334A · kind A · utility

20Cited by
5References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateNov 14, 1994
Grant dateDec 10, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 14, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG08B13/183
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A light grid consists of a row (13) of adjacent light transmitters (11.sub.i) and adjacent light receivers (12.sub.i) arranged at a distance opposite to the latter. The light transmitters (11.sub.i) and the associated light receivers (12.sub.i) are individually activated cyclically one after the other. A determination is made at each light receiver (12.sub.i) whether a received light signal is present or not on activation of the associated light transmitter (11.sub.i). By considering, during the evaluation, the light receivers (12.sub.i-1, 12.sub.i+1) adjacent to the associated light receiver (12.sub.i) and the light transmitters (11.sub.i+1, 11.sub.i-1) adjacent to the associated light transmitter (11.sub.i), a differentiation is made between an obstacle introduced into the protective field (26) and a defect light transmitter (11.sub.i) and/or light receiver (12.sub.i).

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.