Optical detection device for determining the position of an indicator medium

• US 5,789,739 A
• Filed: 10/23/1996
• Issued: 08/04/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sick AG (Sick)
• Original Assignee: Sick AG (Sick)
• Inventors: Schwarz, Franz
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, QUE TAN
• Application Number:
  US08/735,632
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 250/221, 250/234, 250/559.38, 250/559.4, 250/222.1, 250/222.2, 250/206.2, 250/206.1, 356/141.2, 356/152.1, 356/375, 340/555-557
• US Class Current: 250/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0423 using sweeping light beams, e.g. using rotating or vibrating mirror

Abstract

The invention relates to an optical detection device for determining the position of an indicator medium on or in front of a projection surface with an optical monitoring field arranged directly in front of or slightly spaced from the presentation surface parallel to the latter, wherein either at least one scanner is provided which transmits light beams in the plane of the monitoring field, which scans the monitoring field and delivers angle and distance measurements related to the respective position of the indicator medium in the monitoring field, or wherein, starting from two different positions, range and/or angle measurement devices are provided which transmit light beams in the plane of the monitoring field, and wherein the angular range scanned by each of the two range and/or angle distance measuring devices respectively embraces the whole monitoring field, and wherein the respective position of the indicator medium in the monitoring field can be computed from the range and angular values delivered by the range and/or angle measurement devices.

Claims

1. Optical detection device for determining the position of an indicator medium directed on or in front of a presentation surface which has an optical monitoring field arranged in front of and parallel to the presentation surface and defining a plane, the optical detection device comprising at least one scanner for transmitting light beams in the plane of the optical monitoring field to scan the entire monitoring field and to locate the indicator medium by a distance defined along a line between the at least one scanner and the indicator medium and by an angle defined between the line and a reference line of the at least one scanner.

2. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the optical monitoring field is slightly spaced from the presentation surface.

3. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the optical monitoring field is disposed directly on the presentation surface.

4. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one scanner is positioned in a marginal region of the monitoring field.

5. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 4, wherein the monitoring field is substantially rectangular and the at least one scanner is positioned in a corner region of the monitoring field.

6. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the scanner scans an angular range of approximately 90°

.

7. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the scanner scans an angular range which lies approximately between 90°

and 180°

.

8. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the optical detection device comprises one scanner for scanning the entire monitoring field.

9. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one scanner is protectively accommodated in a housing region which has a light outlet gap.

10. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the monitoring field is substantially vertically extending and the at least one scanner is disposed in an upper marginal region of the monitoring field.

11. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the monitoring field is substantially vertically extending and the at least one scanner is disposed above an upper marginal region of the monitoring field.

12. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the monitoring field is spaced from the presentation surface by a distance of about 2-20 mm.

13. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 12, wherein the monitoring field is spaced from the presentation surface by a distance of about 5 mm.

14. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the monitoring field and presentation surface are approximately equal in size.

15. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the presentation surface comprises a monitor having a size between about 10 to 20 inches.

16. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the presentation surface comprises a shop window pane.

17. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 16, wherein the shop window pane is substantially rectangular with diagonal dimensions of up to about 10 m.

18. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the presentation surface comprises a projection surface.

19. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 18, wherein the projection surface is a flip-chart projection surface.

20. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the projection surface comprises a transparent pane disposed about a conveyor belt transporting articles.

21. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 20, wherein the transparent pane is disposed above the conveyor belt.

22. Optical detection device for determining the position of an indicator medium directed on or in front of a presentation surface which has an optical monitoring field arranged in front of and parallel to the presentation surface and defining a plane, the optical detection device comprising two measurement devices spaced from one another for transmitting light beams in the plane of the optical monitoring field to each scan the entire monitoring field and to measure positional parameters to locate the indicator medium with respect to the two measurement devices, wherein at least one of the positional parameters is a distance defined along a line between one of the two measurement devices and the indicator medium.

23. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 22, wherein the positional parameters comprise a first distance defined along a first line between a first one of the two measurement devices and the indicator medium and a second distance defined along a second line between a second one of the two measurement devices and the indicator medium.

24. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 22, wherein the positional parameters further comprise an angle defined between a line extending from one of the two measurement devices and the indicator medium and a reference line of the one measurement device.

25. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 22, wherein the two measurement devices are disposed in spaced edge regions of the monitoring field.

26. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 22, wherein the two measurement devices each scan an angular range of approximately 90°

.

27. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 22, wherein the two measurement devices each scan an angular range which lies approximately between 90°

and 180°

.

28. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 22, wherein the monitoring field is substantially rectangular and the two measurement devices are positioned in neighboring corner regions of the monitoring field.

29. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 22, wherein the two measurement devices each comprise a rotating beam scanner.

30. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 22, wherein the two measurement devices are protectively accommodated in a housing region which has a light outlet gap.

31. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 22, wherein the monitoring field is substantially vertically extending and the two measurement devices are disposed in an upper marginal region of the monitoring field.

32. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 22, wherein the monitoring field is substantially vertically extending and the two measurement devices are disposed above an upper marginal region of the monitoring field.

33. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 22, wherein the monitoring field is spaced from the presentation surface by a distance of about 2-20 mm.

34. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 33, wherein the monitoring field is spaced from the presentation surface by a distance of about 5 mm.

35. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 22, wherein the monitoring field and presentation surface are approximately equal in size.

36. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 22, wherein the presentation surface comprises a monitor having a size between about 10 to 20 inches.

37. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 22, wherein the presentation surface comprises a shop window pane.

38. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 37, wherein the shop window pane is substantially rectangular with diagonal dimensions of up to about 10 m.

39. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 22, wherein the presentation surface comprises a projection surface.

40. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 39, wherein the projection surface is a flip-chart projection surface.

41. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 22, wherein the projection surface comprises a transparent pane disposed about a conveyor belt transporting articles.

42. Optical detection device in accordance with claim 41, wherein the transparent pane is disposed above the conveyor belt.