Door sensor system for detecting a target object

• US 7,446,862 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2007
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BEA (Halma PLC)
• Original Assignee: Beasa
• Inventors: Zambon, Alain
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ratcliffe; Luke D
• Application Number:
  US11/834,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20080007710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: 356 301- 315, 356 401- 41, 356 501- 515, 356 6- 22
• US Class Current: 356/5.01
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/43 responsive to disruption of energy beams, e.g. light or sound
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/608 for revolving wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/73 responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/74 using photoelectric cells
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/132 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/04 Systems determining the presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/18 wherein range gates are used
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S17/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/87 Combinations of systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/88 Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/481 Constructional features, e.g. arrangements of optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4813 Housing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4817 relating to scanning

Abstract

A door sensor system (90) for detecting a target object (56) in and/or near a door comprising a door opening (96), and at least one movable door element (76, 76-1, 76-2, 76-3, 76-4), the system comprising at least one light scanner device (10) which is capable of measuring optically the distance to a target to make such a measurement over a given scan angle at regular intervals by deflecting the light with moving mirrors, and which generates at least one vertical plane of detection.

Claims

1. A door sensor system (90) for detecting a target object (56) in and/or near a door, comprising:

a door opening (96),

at least one movable door element (76-1, 76-2, 76-3, 76-4),

at least one light scanner device (10),

each said light scanner device includes moving mirrors,

each said light scanner device mounted at a given mounting angle with respect to said door element,

said moving mirrors of said light scanner device deflecting light generated by said light scanner device, each said mirror includes a plurality of mirror facets and each said facet oriented at a tilt angle with respect to an axis (36) of said moving mirrors, said tilt angles of said plurality of mirror facets defining a plurality of tilted detection planes (scanning planes) generated by said moving mirrors,

each detection plane, scanning plane, includes a sweep sector

a scan angle defined by said plurality of detection planes, scanning planes, said scan angle includes a scanning width (60) and a scanning area (59), and,

said light scanner device optically measures the distance to a target at regular intervals 15-i) within the sweep sector of each scanning plane (15) covering the scanning area (59).

2. The door sensor system according to claim 1 comprising a light scanner device for measuring a range and an angular direction of said target object (56), said device (10) comprising:

a pulse source (12) adapted to transmit light pulses,

a transmitter deflection means 20) adapted to sweep the transmitted light pulses in variable sweep directions across a sweep sector,

a photo detection means (42) adapted to detect received light pulses that have been reflected in said sweep sector,

a receiver deflection means (24) adapted to re-direct light pulses that have been reflected in the sweep plane (15) to said photo detection means (42),

further comprising optical shielding means (32) adapted to optically shield transmitted light pulses on their trajectory from said pulse source (12) to said transmitter deflection means (20) and at least a portion of their trajectory extending from said transmitter deflection means (20) into said sweep sector from reflected light pulses on their trajectory between said photo detection means (42) and said receiver deflection means (24) and at least a portion of their trajectory extending in said sweep sector and ending on said receiver deflection means (24), wherein said transmitter deflection means (20) and said receiver deflection means (24) both comprises a multi-facet mirror comprising a plurality of at least one facet that is/are substantially parallel to each other, and wherein the multi-facet mirror of the transmitter deflection means (20) and the multi-facet mirror of said receiver deflection means (24) are adapted to be rotated in synchronism with each other on a common rotation axis (38),

wherein the multi-facet mirror of the transmitter deflection means (20) and the multi-facet mirror of said receiver deflection means (24) form a split multi-facet mirror comprising a groove adapted to optically separate the multi-facet mirror of the transmitter deflection means (20) and the multi-facet mirror of the receiver deflection means (24).

3. The door sensor system according to claim 1 wherein said scanned area is adjustable, and, said tilted detection planes, scanning planes, are oriented as desired, between a substantially vertical orientation and a substantially horizontal orientation near a door opening and door elements and at a predetermined height above or on the ground (80).

4. The door sensor system according to claim 1 wherein said light scanner device has an adjustable scanning area and the width (50) and height (52 minus 54) of said scanning area is variable according to the dimensions of said door.

5. he door sensor system according to claim 1 wherein said at least one light scanner device (10) is associated with said door opening (96) to survey the whole surface of said door opening.

6. The door sensor system according to claim 1 for a door with movable elements wherein at least one light scanner device (10) is associated with each said movable door elements (76-1, 76-2, 76-3, 76-4).

7. The door sensor system according to claim 5 wherein at least one light scanner device (10) is associated with each movable door element (76-1, 76-2, 76-3, 76-4).

8. The door sensor system according to claim 1 wherein said light scanner device forms a scanned area (59), said scanned area (59) has a scanning length (58) that is directed substantially parallel to said movable door element (76-1, 76-2, 76-3, 76-4).

9. The door sensor system according to claim 7 wherein:

said scanner device forms a scanned area 59), said scanned area has a scanning length (58),

said scanning length (58) can be dynamically varied to extend along and not project beyond said movable door element (76-1, 76-2, 76-3, 76-4) when said movable door element is between door frame elements (72, 78), and,

said scanning length (58) projects beyond said movable door element when said movable door element is not between said door frame elements.

10. The door sensor system according to claim 1 wherein said light scanner device transmits and receives non-visible light pulses and said door sensor system further comprises an illumination means adapted to emit visible light so as to visibly illuminate a scanned area (59).

11. The door sensor system according to claim 1 further comprising adjustment means for adjusting the orientation of the door sensor device such that a position of a scanned area can be aligned with respect to door elements (76-1, 76-2, 76-3, 76-4).

12. The door sensor system according to claim 11 wherein said adjustment means comprises a screw (62, 64, 66, 68) adapted to adjust said tilt angle of said sweep sector.

13. The door sensor system according to claim 12 comprising a mounting bracket means (94) adapted such that said system can be mounted to a door frame element (70, 72, 78) in at least three different angular positions (92-1, 92-2, 92-3) corresponding with at least three different tilt angles generating three different sweep sectors.

14. The door sensor system according to claim 3 wherein said light scanner device has an adjustable scanning area and the width (50) and height (52 minus 54) of the scanning area can be adjusted according to the dimensions of said door.

15. The door sensor system according to claim 14 wherein said at least one light scanner device (10) is associated with said door opening (96) to survey the whole surface of said door opening.

16. The door sensor system according to claim 15 wherein at least one light scanner device (10) is associated with each movable door element (76;

76-1, 76-2, 76-3, 76-4).

17. The door sensor system according to claim 4 wherein said light scanner device transmits and receives non-visible light pulses, and said door sensor system further comprises an illumination means adapted to emit visible light so as to visibly illuminate scanned area (59).

18. The door sensor system according to claim 17 wherein said adjustment means comprises a screw (62, 64, 66, 68) adapted to adjust the tilt angle of the sweep sector.