Distance measuring sensor and method for the detection and distance determination of objects

US9798003B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• SICK AG · DE

Inventors

• Markus Hammes · Dinslaken, DE
• Martin MÜNCHER · Waldkirch, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 9, 2015
• Grant date: Oct 24, 2017
• Expiry date: Feb 3, 2036

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01S17/10
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A distance measuring sensor (10) for a detection and distance determination of objects (18) in a monitoring area, the sensor (10) having a transmitter (12) for transmitting transmission pulses, a receiver (20) for generating a reception signal from transmission pulses remitted from the monitoring area, an A/D converter (38) for digitizing the reception signal, and a control and evaluation unit (28, 30), which is configured to transmit a plurality of transmission pulses via the transmitter (12), to accumulate the respective reception signals generated by the receiver (20) in a histogram (110), and to determine, from the histogram (110), a reception point in time and thus a measurement value for the signal time of flight from the sensor (10) to the object (18), wherein the sensor (10) comprises a noise generator (40) configured to add a noise signal to the reception signal prior to its digitization in the A/D converter (38).