Optical Safety System

• US 20170242110A1
• Filed: 01/20/2017
• Published: 08/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keyence Corporation (Keyence)
• Original Assignee: Keyence Corporation (Keyence)
• Inventors: TOMOSHI, Satoru, YAMAZAKI, Kentaro
• Granted Patent: US 10,317,516 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S17/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4808 Evaluating distance, position or velocity data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4817 relating to scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/51 Display arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/187 by interference of a radiation field
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1968 Interfaces for setting up or customising the system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2491 Intrusion detection systems, i.e. where the body of an intruder causes the interference with the electromagnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/183 Single detectors using dual technologies G08B13/1672, G08B13/2448, G08B13/2494 take precedence

Abstract

Provided is an optical safety system that enables simplification of an editing operation for area designation information. A safety scanner includes an intrusion sensing section that determines the presence or absence of an intruder into a protection area. The setting support device includes a pseudo determination information generation section that determines a presence or absence of an intruder into a protection area on the basis of an area designation information before being transmitted to the safety scanner and a distance measurement information received from the safety scanner and generates a pseudo determination information indicating the determination result.

Claims

1. An optical safety system comprising:

a safety scanner that detects an object within a protection area and outputs a sensing signal; and

a setting support device that generates an area designation information designating the protection area,

the safety scanner including;

an area designation information receiver configured to receive the area designation information from the setting support device;

a light emitter that emits a detection light to a detection area;

a light receiver that receives the detection light reflected from an object within the detection area and generates a light receiving signal in accordance with the detection light;

a distance calculation section configured to determine a distance to the object on the basis of the light receiving signal;

a scanner configured to direct the detection light to the detection area to scan the detection area in a circumferential direction around a rotation axis;

a distance measurement section that obtains a distance measurement information corresponding to the distance determined by the distance calculation section and a scanning angle of the detection light directed by the scanner; and

an intrusion sensing section that determines the presence or absence of an object into the protection area on the basis of the area designation information received by the area designation information receiver and the distance measurement information obtained by the distance measurement section to output a sensing signal corresponding to the presence or absence of the object into the protection area,

the setting support device including;

an edit screen display section that displays an edit screen for creating the area designation information;

an area designation information generation section that generates the area designation information;

a distance measurement information receiving section that receives the distance measurement information from the safety scanner; and

a pseudo determination information generation section that determines the presence or absence of an intruder into the protection area on the basis of the area designation information before being transmitted to the safety scanner and distance measurement information received from the safety scanner and generates pseudo determination information indicating the determination result, wherein

the edit screen display section displays a determination result corresponding to the pseudo determination information on the edit screen.

2. The optical safety system according to claim 1, wherein the safety scanner further includes:

an indicator lamp that indicates an output state of the sensing signal;

a pseudo determination information receiving section that receives the pseudo determination information from the setting support device; and

an indicator lamp control section that controls lighting of the indicator lamp and indicates a determination result corresponding to pseudo determination information received from the setting support device.

3. The optical safety system according to claim 2, wherein the indicator lamp control section performs indication of the determination result corresponding to the pseudo determination information distinguishably from an output state of the sensing signal during a period of receiving the pseudo determination information.

4. The optical safety system according to claim 1, wherein the intrusion sensing section continues output of a sensing signal corresponding to the area designation information received by the area designation information receiver and the distance measurement information obtained by the distance measurement section even during a period of receiving the pseudo determination information.

5. The optical safety system according to claim 1, wherein the intrusion sensing section outputs a sensing signal corresponding to the presence of an object during a period of receiving the pseudo determination information.

6. The optical safety system according to claim 1, wherein

the setting support device further includes a position designation section that designates a position on a scanning plane of the detection light in accordance with a user operation,

the edit screen display section displays the scanning plane on the edit screen and displays a distance measurement position corresponding to distance measurement information received from the safety scanner and a position designated by the position designation section on the scanning plane, and

the area designation information generation section generates the area designation information on the basis of a position designated by the position designation section.

7. The optical safety system according to claim 1, wherein

the safety scanner further includes:

a marker identification section that identifies a maker movably disposed within the detection area; and

an area generation information transmission section that transmits a distance measurement information of the marker to the setting support device as the area generation information for determining the protection area,

the edit screen display section displays a scanning plane of the detection light on the edit screen and displays a distance measurement position corresponding to the distance measurement information of the marker on the scanning plane, and

the area designation information generation section generates the area designation information on the basis of the distance measurement information of the marker.

8. The optical safety system according to claim 1, wherein the area designation information generation section generates the area designation information on the basis of a plurality of distance measurement information obtained within a scanning period of the detection light.