Device and method for identifying an object in or on a closable opening

• US 7,378,641 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2005
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mechaless Systems GmbH (Elmos Semiconductor SE)
• Original Assignee: Mechaless Systems GmbH (Elmos Semiconductor SE), Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Reime, Gerd, Langer, Peter, Melcher, Rolf, Rottmann, Frank, Rodewald, Andreas, Setzer, Juergen, Dietz, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): YAM, STEPHEN K
• Application Number:
  US11/568,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20070221824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,109 Days
• Field of Search: 250/221, 250/222.1, 250/216, 250/227.11, 250/578.1, 340/555, 340/556, 340/557, 340/550, 340/552, 49/25, 49/26, 49/28
• US Class Current: 250/221
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/22 using reflectors

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and a method for identifying an object O in an opening that can be closed by means of a mobile element (12). Light is fed into at least one fiber-optic light guide (33, 34) from a light source (1, 2), and variations in the received light are detected by means of at least one receiver (Ea, Eb), the fiber-optic light guide being arranged at least partially along the edge of the opening (11). A first fiber-optic light guide sends light transversally to the length thereof, said light being then received by a second fiber-optic light guide transversally to the length thereof. The second fiber-optic light guide (34) is connected to the receiver (Eb). The fiber-optic light guides are arranged on the edge of the opening (11) in such a way that a light field (F) at least partially bridging the opening is produced. At least one light source (1, 2) and at least one receiver (Ea, Eb) are respectively associated with each fiber-optic light guide (33, 34), and a clock circuit is used to alternately feed the light received by the respective receiver into the fiber-optic light guides. Comparison means are used to compare the signals on the receivers in order to identify the object.

Claims

1. A device for identifying an object in or on a closable opening, comprising a device for opening and closing the opening by means of a movable part and an optoelectronic detection mechanism for identifying the object, which feeds light into at least one first light guide and at least one second light guide by means of at least one light source and detects changes in the received light by means of at least one receiver,

wherein each of the first light guide and the second light guide has a means for emitting light transversely to its longitudinal extent and a means for receiving light transversely to its longitudinal extent, while being in operative connection with the at least one receiver,

wherein the first and second light guides are arranged at the edge of the opening in such a way that a bidirectional light field is produced between them which at least partially bridges the opening,

wherein a clock circuit is provided, which feeds light in an alternating manner into the first and second light guides, which light is received by the at least one receiver, and

wherein a comparison means is provided for comparing the signals present at the at least one receiver to identify the object.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the opening is an opening of a vehicle.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein a multiplier or a divider is provided for temperature compensation, which multiplies or divides the signals present at the at least one receiver by one another to identify changes, and wherein a control unit compares the product or the division result with a reference value.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the reference value is a characteristic curve which is set up by means of a movement path of the movable part, and depends on a position of the movable part.

5. The device according to of claim 1, wherein a difference generator is provided for identifying an object located in the bidirectional light field and generates a difference from the signals present at the at least one receiver.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second light guides are provided on opposing sides of the opening.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of first or second light guides are provided along a side of the opening.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second light guides are arranged along a movement direction of the movable part and/or mirror-symmetrically.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second light guides each have a structure for radiating out or receiving the light transversely to their longitudinal direction.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the structure is provided in an augmented and/or cumulative manner, with increasing distance from the light source.

11. The device according to claim 9, wherein the structure is configured such that it increases the light intensity in a region in which the movable part is located at the end of its closing movement.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein a motor drive is provided to move the movable part, which motor drive is activated as a result of the signals present at the at least one receiver.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein a measuring arrangement comprising the first and second light guides, the at least one light source, and the at least one receiver is provided, and wherein a compensation element for extraneous light compensation by control of the light intensity radiated into the measuring arrangement by the at least one light source is associated with the first and second light guides, so that a clocked alternating light component, which occurs between different phases of the light alternately emitted into the opening by the first and second light guides, becomes zero, wherein the at least one light source emits light in a phase-wise manner and clocked in a time-sequential manner.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the compensation element is the light source associated with the receiving one of the first and second light guides.

15. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one light source and the at least one receiver are connected to a control, with which the light signal of a light-emitting diode used as the light source is compensated with a further modulated light signal in such a way that a constant light signal is substantially present at the receiver, wherein the temporal average of the current, which is required to generate the further modulated light signal, and/or the temporal average of the current which is supplied to the light-emitting diode, substantially correspond to one another.

16. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is associated with a sliding vehicle roof or a window closer or a blind or is part of a boot monitoring system.

17. A method for identifying an object in or on an opening which can be closed by means of a movable part, comprising the steps of:

arranging a plurality of light guides along the opening including at least one first and at least one second light guide, wherein each of the first light guide and the second light guide has a means for emitting light transversely to its longitudinal extent and a means for receiving light transversely to its longitudinal extent;

emitting light in an alternating manner from the at least one first light guide transversely to its longitudinal extent and then the at least one second light guide transversely to its longitudinal extent to form a bidirectional light field at least partially bridging the opening;

receiving light emitted from one light guide by means of at least one receiver that is in operative connection with the other light guide; and

comparing the signals present at the at least one receiver to identify the object.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, to identify changes, the signals present at the receiver are multiplied by one another or divided and are compared with a reference value.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein a characteristic curve set up by means of a movement path of the movable part is stored as the reference value and is dependent on the position of the movable part.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein a difference is generated from the signals present at the receiver to identify an object located statically in the light field.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein the light intensity of the light emitted from the light guides is increased in the region in which the movable part is located at the end of its closing movement.

22. The method according to claim 17, wherein the opening with the movable part is closed by a motor drive, which is activated as a result of the signals present at the receiver.

23. The method according to claim 17, wherein the object is a precipitation, and the opening is closed on identification of the precipitation.

24. The method according to claim 17, wherein the light guides are partially transparent, and light is radiated into the light guides in a wavelength range which is visible to the human eye and preferably at a frequency which is not perceivable to the human eye.

25. The method according to claim 17, wherein the receiver senses strong insolation in the region of the light field, and thereupon initiates automatic closing of the movable part.

26. The method according to claim 17, wherein the movable part is a vehicle part.

27. The method according to claim 17, wherein incident light in the second light guide contains light information about movements in an interior of a vehicle and/or at the windows of the vehicle, which information can be evaluated by an evaluation unit.

28. The method according to claim 17, wherein the light signal of one light-emitting diode used as the light source is compensated with a further modulated light signal in such a way that substantially a constant light signal is present at the receiver, wherein the temporal average of the current, which is required to generate the further modulated light signal, and/or the temporal average of the current which is supplied to the light-emitting diode, is changed in such a way that the temporal averages substantially correspond.