Opto-electronic distance sensor and method for the opto-electronic distance measurement

US6492652B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Hera Rotterdam, B.V. · NL

Inventor

• Daniel Muller · Stein am Rhein, CH

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 20, 2000
• Grant date: Dec 10, 2002
• Expiry date: Dec 20, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01S17/48
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The opto-electronic sensor (1) for the measurement of the distance (d) to an object (9), resp., for the identification of an object (9) within a monitoring zone (90) is based on triangulation measurement. A light source (21) emits light onto the object (9) or into the monitoring zone (90). The light (35) scattered by the object (9) impinges on a receiving element (31) at an angle (&agr;), which is dependent on distance (d) to the object (9). The latter has tappings (34.1-34.5) distributed over its length, in order to by means of a corresponding selection of these bring the measuring range of the sensor (1) to the value required by a control circuit (4) and as a result of this to increase the measuring resolution correspondingly. In variable amplifiers (6.1, 6.2), two or more detector signals (I1′, I2′) are multiplied with a variable factor respectively determined by the control circuit (4) and subsequently added, resp., subtracted in an adding—or subtracting stage (7). In an evaluation unit (8), the common signal for the generation of an object identification signal is processed further. The sensor (1) manifests a low measuring inaccuracy caused by noise and enabl…