Patent · US Expired

Optical sensor

US7068167B2 · kind B2 · utility

3Cited by
10References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMar 24, 2004
Grant dateJun 27, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 12, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01V8/18
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An optical sensor arrangement includes a transmitter that emits light rays and a receiver that receives light rays reflected from an object. A deflection unit deflects the transmitted light rays to periodically sweep across a monitoring range. An evaluation unit stores parameters of several safety zones that form respectively predetermined areas of the monitoring range. An object detection signal is generated in the evaluation unit in dependence on receiving signals at the receiver output, which object detection signal indicates whether or not an object is located within an activated safety zone. A communication interface is coupled to the evaluation unit and is operative for bi-directional data transmission with an external unit. At least one of the stored safety zones is activated by reading into the evaluation unit activation signals from the external unit via the communication interface.

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