Distance-measuring sensor and method for detecting and determining the distance of objects

US9995820B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• SICK AG · DE

Inventors

• Fabian JACHMANN · Waldkirch, DE
• Michael Engler · Stamford, US
• Bernd Rothenberger · Gernsbach, DE
• Thomas DOLLMANN · Nassau (Lahn), DE

Key dates

• Filing date: May 5, 2015
• Grant date: Jun 12, 2018
• Expiry date: Nov 14, 2036

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01S17/42
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A distance-measuring sensor (10) is provided for detecting and determining the distance of objects (18) in a monitored zone comprising a transmitter (12) for transmitting transmitted pulses; a receiver (20) for generating a received signal from the transmitted pulses remitted in the monitored zone; a first comparator unit (36a) for digitizing the received signal with reference to a first threshold; and a control and evaluation unit (30) which is configured to transmit a plurality of transmitted pulses via the transmitter (12), to collect the received signals thereupon generated by the receiver (20) in a histogram and to determine a received time point from the histogram and thus to determine a measured value for the signal transit time from the sensor (10) to the object (18). In this respect, a second comparator unit (36b) is provided for digitizing the received signal with reference to a second threshold, wherein the first comparator unit (36a), the second comparator unit (36b) and the control and evaluation unit (30) are configured to acquire three digital states of a respective section of the received signal with reference to the first threshold and to weight the contributions o…