Apparatus and method for monitoring a spatial area, in particular for safeguarding a hazardous area of an automatically operated installation
First Claim
1. An apparatus for safeguarding a hazardous area of an automatically operated installation, the apparatus comprising:
- an image recording unit having a first camera designed to record a first image and having a second camera designed to record at least one second image of the hazardous area, the first and second cameras each comprising an image sensor having a plurality of pixels for imaging a plurality of area points located in the hazardous area,an illumination device designed to emit light signals into the hazardous area in order to illuminate the plurality of area points,an evaluation unit designed to determine a first distance value for at least one area point by means of a propagation time measurement using the light signals and using the first image from the first camera, the propagation time measurement having a limited unambiguity range,a control unit configured to initiate a safety function depending on the distance value determined, the safety function being configured to safeguard the installation, anda test device designed to detect an incorrectly determined distance value resulting from the limited unambiguity range, the test device being designed to check the distance value by means of the second image including said at least one area point from the second camera.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for monitoring a spatial area, in particular for safeguarding a hazardous area of an automatically operated installation, comprises an illumination device which at least temporarily emits light signals into the spatial area. A first image recording unit records a first image of the spatial area. The first image recording unit comprises an image sensor having a plurality of pixels. An evaluation unit determines a distance value for at least one spatial area point, which is located in the spatial area and is imaged on at least one pixel, by means of a propagation type measurement. The propagation type measurement suffers from a limited unambiguity range. Therefore, a test device is designed to check the distance value by means of a reference distance value determined from a second image of said spatial area.
43 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An apparatus for safeguarding a hazardous area of an automatically operated installation, the apparatus comprising:
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an image recording unit having a first camera designed to record a first image and having a second camera designed to record at least one second image of the hazardous area, the first and second cameras each comprising an image sensor having a plurality of pixels for imaging a plurality of area points located in the hazardous area, an illumination device designed to emit light signals into the hazardous area in order to illuminate the plurality of area points, an evaluation unit designed to determine a first distance value for at least one area point by means of a propagation time measurement using the light signals and using the first image from the first camera, the propagation time measurement having a limited unambiguity range, a control unit configured to initiate a safety function depending on the distance value determined, the safety function being configured to safeguard the installation, and a test device designed to detect an incorrectly determined distance value resulting from the limited unambiguity range, the test device being designed to check the distance value by means of the second image including said at least one area point from the second camera. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for safeguarding a hazardous area of an automatically operated installation, comprising the steps of:
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emitting light signals into the hazardous area by means of an illumination device in order to illuminate a plurality of area points located in the hazardous area, recording at least one first and one second image of the hazardous area by means of an image recording unit comprising a first camera for recording the first image and comprising a second camera for recording the second image, the first and second cameras each comprising an image sensor having a plurality of pixels for imaging the plurality of area points, determining a first distance value for at least one area point by means of a propagation time measurement using the light signals and the first image from the first camera, the propagation time measurement having a limited unambiguity range, checking the distance value by means of the second image including said at least one area point from the second camera in order to detect any incorrectly determined distance value resulting from the limited unambiguity range, and initiating a safety function depending on the distance value for safeguarding the installation. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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- 16. An apparatus for monitoring a spatial area, comprising an illumination device which at least temporarily emits first light signals into the spatial area, comprising an image recording unit having a first camera and a second camera for recording a first image and at least one second image of the spatial area, said first and second camera each comprising an image sensor having a plurality of pixels for imaging a plurality of spatial area points, comprising an evaluation unit designed to determine a first distance value for at least one of the spatial area points using a first propagation time measurement in conjunction with the first image and the first light signals, comprising a control unit which initiates a safety function depending on the first distance value, and comprising a test device designed to check the first distance value by means of a reference distance value determined for the at least one spatial area point, said reference distance value being determined by means of the second image from the second camera.
Specification