Optical sensor for detecting articles in a monitored region and method for operating the same
First Claim
1. Method for the operation of an optical sensor arrangement for the detection of articles present in a monitored region with a pulsed light transmitter which transmits light pulses with a time spacing one after the other into the monitored region and with a light receiver which in the absence of articles to be detected receives substantially no light from the light receiver, but which on the presence of an article to be detected in the monitored region receives so much light from the light transmitter by reflection or transmission that a received signal processing stage connected to the light receiver transmits an article detection signal, characterised in that after transmitting a transmitted light pulse the received signal processing stage (24) is switched off and the output signal of the light receiver (13) is investigated, at least in the end region of the subsequent pause until the next transmitted pulse (45), as to whether a varying disturbing signal is present;
- and in that on finding a varying disturbing signal the transmission of the next transmitted pulse is shifted timewise by an amount such that on transmitting the next transmitted pulse the disturbing signal has sunk at least with a certain probability below the response threshold of the received signal processing circuit (24).
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical sensor device for detecting reflecting objects (11) has a light pulse emitter (12) and a light receiver (13) connected to an evaluation circuit (14) having a pulse generator (17) and a reception signal processing stage (24) which only emits an object detection signal when the light pulses or light pulse sequences received by the light receiver (13) lie above a switching threshold. The evaluation circuit (14) has a pulse emission influencing and triggering stage (15) connected in parallel to the reception signal processing stage (24) which triggers the emission of the following light pulse by the pulse generator (17) only when a detected variable disturbing signal has disappeared.
36 Citations
19 Claims
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1. Method for the operation of an optical sensor arrangement for the detection of articles present in a monitored region with a pulsed light transmitter which transmits light pulses with a time spacing one after the other into the monitored region and with a light receiver which in the absence of articles to be detected receives substantially no light from the light receiver, but which on the presence of an article to be detected in the monitored region receives so much light from the light transmitter by reflection or transmission that a received signal processing stage connected to the light receiver transmits an article detection signal, characterised in that after transmitting a transmitted light pulse the received signal processing stage (24) is switched off and the output signal of the light receiver (13) is investigated, at least in the end region of the subsequent pause until the next transmitted pulse (45), as to whether a varying disturbing signal is present;
- and in that on finding a varying disturbing signal the transmission of the next transmitted pulse is shifted timewise by an amount such that on transmitting the next transmitted pulse the disturbing signal has sunk at least with a certain probability below the response threshold of the received signal processing circuit (24).
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. Optical sensor arrangement for detecting articles present in a monitored region comprising a pulsed light transmitter which transmits light pulses having a time spacing one after the other into the monitored region, and a light receiver which is so arranged relative to the light transmitter and the monitored region that in the absence of articles to be detected in the monitored region it receives at least substantially no light from the light receiver, but on the presence of an article to be detected in the monitored region receives so much light from the light transmitter through reflection or transmission that a received signal processing stage connected to the light receiver transmits an article detection signal, characterised in that a disturbance detection stage (16;
- 46) is also connected or connectable to the light receiver (13) and causes, on detecting reception of a variable disturbing signal, a subsequent transmitted pulse influencing or trigger stage (15) to trigger the transmission of the next transmitted pulse by the pulse generator (17) activated by the transmitted pulse influencing or trigger stage (15) only after the actual or probable end of the varying disturbing signal, and in that a controlled change-over switch (25) is inserted in the path between the light receiver (13) and the received signal processing stage (24) and is so switched, that it connects the light receiver (13) with the received signal processing stage (24) only on the transmission of a transmitted pulse by the pulse transducer (17) but in contrast, in the pause between two transmitted pulses connects the light receiver (13) at least shortly before the triggering of the next transmitted pulse, preferably however during the entire time interval between the sending of two sequential transmitted pulses, to the disturbance detection stage (16;
46) or to the transmitted pulse influencing or trigger stage (15). - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
- 46) is also connected or connectable to the light receiver (13) and causes, on detecting reception of a variable disturbing signal, a subsequent transmitted pulse influencing or trigger stage (15) to trigger the transmission of the next transmitted pulse by the pulse generator (17) activated by the transmitted pulse influencing or trigger stage (15) only after the actual or probable end of the varying disturbing signal, and in that a controlled change-over switch (25) is inserted in the path between the light receiver (13) and the received signal processing stage (24) and is so switched, that it connects the light receiver (13) with the received signal processing stage (24) only on the transmission of a transmitted pulse by the pulse transducer (17) but in contrast, in the pause between two transmitted pulses connects the light receiver (13) at least shortly before the triggering of the next transmitted pulse, preferably however during the entire time interval between the sending of two sequential transmitted pulses, to the disturbance detection stage (16;
Specification