Sensor device and system having a conveyor and a sensor device

• US 8,107,058 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2009
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Switzerland GmbH (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cedes AG (Assa Abloy AB)
• Inventors: Meinherz, Carl, Albers, Bas, Stein, Manfred
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TU T
• Application Number:
  US12/548,892
• Publication Number:
  US 20090316135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 356/27
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1674 characterised by safety, monitoring, diagnostic
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4061 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40202 Human robot coexistence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40546 Motion of object
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40554 Object recognition to track object on conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A sensor device having a sensor arrangement for detecting moving objects that includes a sensor and an electronic unit. The sensor arrangement is designed to detect an object and to subsequently investigate whether there are present within the surface of the object regions that move at a different speed and/or acceleration. The sensor arrangement can also investigate whether the object is accelerating.

Claims

1. A sensor device having a sensor arrangement for detecting moving objects, said device comprising a sensor and an electronic unit, wherein the sensor arrangement detects an object and subsequently investigates whether there are present within a surface of the object regions that move at least at one of a different speed and a different acceleration.

2. The sensor device of claim 1, wherein the sensor arrangement detects an object and subsequently investigates whether the object is accelerating.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor arrangement outputs a signal when it detects a difference in at least one of speed and acceleration of regions of the object that exceeds a predetermined value.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor arrangement determines an image of the object with distances from the object surface.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor arrangement intercompares distance images recorded by the sensor in order to find regions of an object surface that have at least one of different speeds and accelerations.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor arrangement determines distance differences from a comparison of distance images, and determines at least one of a speed image and an acceleration image of the object by reference to a time scale.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein a prescribed number of distance images are used iteratively by the sensor arrangement in order to determine at least one of a speed image and an acceleration image.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a single monitoring sensor.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the monitoring sensor is a 3D camera.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a plurality of monitoring sensors.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of monitoring sensors are arranged such that they have an overlapping observation region.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of monitoring sensors are positioned in such a way that the sensors are not mutually visible.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the monitoring sensors are arranged opposite with reference to a region to be monitored.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the monitoring sensors operate at different detection frequencies.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the monitoring sensors are active in different time intervals.

16. The device of claim 1, further comprising correction means to at least approximately compensate at least one of speed differences and acceleration differences of points on a known surface form, in particular in a plane at an object surface that moves in a customary movement direction relative to the sensor.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor arrangement qualifies regions having at least one of different speeds and different accelerations on an object surface with reference to known speed patterns and acceleration patterns, respectively.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor arrangement identifies objects.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor arrangement detects at least one of speed patterns and acceleration patterns based on at least one learning run.

20. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor arrangement shields at least one prescribable subregion of the detection region in order to determine signals.

21. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor arrangement outputs a signal, the type of which is dependent on at least one of the position, the distance from the camera, the movement direction, the speed and the acceleration of the object.

22. A system having a conveying device for transporting an object and a sensor device as claimed in claim 1.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the conveying device causes a nonuniform movement of the object.