Method and device for safeguarding a hazardous area
First Claim
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1. A method for safeguarding a defined hazardous area of an automatically operating machine against intrusion of foreign objects, comprising the steps of:
- providing a first, a second and a third image recording units which are arranged offset from one another,simultaneously recording a first image of the hazardous area by means of the first image recording unit, a second image of the hazardous area by means of the second image recording unit, and a third image of the hazardous area by means of the third image recording unit,forming two different image pairs by combining the first and the second image and by combining the second and the third image,carrying out a first and a second scene analysis on each of the two image pairs in order to detect the foreign objects in the hazardous area,wherein the first and second scene analyses are carried out using at least two algorithmically different methods, andwherein the machine is brought into a safe state when at least one of the scene analysis methods detects the foreign object.
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Abstract
In order to safeguard a hazardous area, in particular the hazardous area of an automatically operating machine, images of the hazardous area are recorded with at least a first and a second image recording unit that are arranged offset from one another. The images of the scene are subjected to three-dimensional scene analyses using different three-dimensional scene analysis methods, and the hazardous area is safeguarded when at least one of the scene analysis methods detects a foreign object.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method for safeguarding a defined hazardous area of an automatically operating machine against intrusion of foreign objects, comprising the steps of:
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providing a first, a second and a third image recording units which are arranged offset from one another, simultaneously recording a first image of the hazardous area by means of the first image recording unit, a second image of the hazardous area by means of the second image recording unit, and a third image of the hazardous area by means of the third image recording unit, forming two different image pairs by combining the first and the second image and by combining the second and the third image, carrying out a first and a second scene analysis on each of the two image pairs in order to detect the foreign objects in the hazardous area, wherein the first and second scene analyses are carried out using at least two algorithmically different methods, and wherein the machine is brought into a safe state when at least one of the scene analysis methods detects the foreign object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12)
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- 8. A device for safeguarding a defined hazardous area of an automatically operating machine, having a first, second and a third image recording units for recording a first, a second and a third image of the hazardous area, the image recording units being arranged offset from one another an evaluation unit adapted for detecting foreign objects in the hazardous area on the basis of the first, the second and the third images, and a switch that is responsive to the evaluation unit in order to safeguard the machine upon detection of the foreign object in the hazardous area, wherein the evaluation unit is designed for combining said images to form two different image pairs and carrying out two algorithmically different scene analysis methods on each of said image pairs, and wherein the switch is activated when at least one of the scene analysis methods detects the foreign object.
Specification