PHOTOELECTRIC SENSOR

• US 20140117213A1
• Filed: 11/22/2013
• Published: 05/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: XU, Anna, SHEN, Haimiao
• Application Number:
  US14/087,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20140117213A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/214.A
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/44 Electric circuits for command of an exposure part G03B7/02

Abstract

A photoelectric sensor that eliminates close range detection blind areas without shortening the detection distance. The photoelectric sensor includes a current-limiting resistor and a photoelectric diode connected in series for converting an optical signal to an electric signal for use. Two ends of the current-limiting resistor are connected in parallel with at least one shunt branch. The shunt branch includes a shunt resistor and a switch circuit connected in series. The switch circuit is switched on when the voltage across two ends of the current-limiting resistor is greater than a predetermined voltage value depending on the shunt branch and is switched off when the voltage across two ends of the current-limiting resistor is less than the predetermined voltage value.

Claims

1. A photoelectric sensor comprising a current-limiting resistor and a photoelectric diode connected in series and configured to convert an optical signal to an electric signal for use, wherein

two ends of the current-limiting resistor are connected in parallel with at least one shunt branch comprising a shunt resistor and a switch circuit connected in series, and

the switch circuit is switched on when the voltage across two ends of the current-limiting resistor is greater than a predetermined voltage value depending on the shunt branch and is switched off when the voltage across two ends of the current-limiting resistor is less than the predetermined voltage value.

2. The photoelectric sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the switch circuit comprises at least one diode connected in series, and

the number of the diode is determined by the predetermined voltage value depending on the shunt branch.

3. The photoelectric sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the switch circuit comprises a Zener diode connected in series in a shunt branch, and

the Zener voltage of the Zener diode is determined by the predetermined voltage value depending on the shunt branch.

4. The photoelectric sensor according to claims 1, further comprising an amplifier unit, an A/D converter unit and a signal processing unit, wherein

a first terminal of the current-limiting resistor is connected to a power supply, a second terminal is connected to one end of the photoelectric diode, and the other end of the photoelectric diode is connected to the ground,

an input terminal of the amplifier unit is connected to a second terminal of the current-limiting resistor,

an input terminal of the A/D converter unit is connected to an output terminal of the amplifier unit, and

an input terminal of the signal processing unit is connected to an output terminal of the A/D converter unit.

5. The photoelectric sensor according to claim 4, further comprising a current sensor connected in series in the shunt branch, wherein

the current sensor detects shunt current when the switch circuit in the shunt branch is switched on;

at this time, the current sensor outputs a control signal to the signal processing unit in accordance with the detected shunt current to adjust a conversion factor of the photoelectric converter.