LED object detection system and method combining complete reflection traces from individual narrow field-of-view channels
First Claim
1. A method for detecting an object located in an environment, said environment having a width, comprising:
- providing a Light-Emitting-Diode (LED) light source having a wide field-of-illumination and orienting said LED light source for said wide field-of-illumination to encompass said width of said environment;
providing an optical detector having a wide field-of-view and orienting said optical detector for said wide field-of-view to encompass said width of said environment, said optical detector having a plurality of sub-detectors, each having an individual narrow field-of-view, each individual narrow field-of-view creating a channel in said wide field-of-view;
driving the LED light source into emitting light toward the environment, said width of said environment being illuminated by said light, said light having an emitted light waveform, said emitted light waveform having short light pulses, each light pulse having a width of less than 50 ns and an amplitude greater than a nominal value of said LED light source and said waveform having a low duty cycle;
receiving and acquiring an individual complete temporal waveform trace of a reflection/backscatter of the emitted light on the object in the environment at each sub-detector of said plurality, thereby combining said individual narrow field-of-view to create said wide field-of-view encompassing said width of said environment and thereby receiving and acquiring an individual complete trace for each channel, said individual complete temporal waveform trace being acquired from a moment when said emitting begins over a length of time continuing after said emitting has ended and ending before emission of a next one of said short light pulses, said acquiring including acquiring and storing multiple time-spaced sampling points at each sub-detector to acquire and store said individual complete temporal waveform trace;
converting said acquired individual complete trace of said reflection/backscatter into an individual digital signal; and
detecting and identifying at least one of a presence of an object in the environment, a position of the object in the environment, a distance between the object and the LED light source and a visibility in said environment, using said emitted light waveform and at least one of said individual digital signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A multi-channel LED object detection system and a method for detecting an object are provided. The method includes providing and orienting a light source having a wide field-of-illumination to encompass the width of the environment; providing and orienting a detector having a wide field-of-view to encompass the width of the environment, the detector having a plurality of sub-detectors with individual narrow field-of-views, driving the LED source into emitting light to illuminate the width of the environment; receiving and acquiring an individual complete trace of a reflection/backscatter of the emitted light on the object at each sub-detector; converting the acquired individual complete trace into an individual digital signal; and detecting and identifying a presence of an object, a position of the object, a distance between the object and the LED source and/or a visibility, using the emitted light waveform and an individual digital signal.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for detecting an object located in an environment, said environment having a width, comprising:
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providing a Light-Emitting-Diode (LED) light source having a wide field-of-illumination and orienting said LED light source for said wide field-of-illumination to encompass said width of said environment; providing an optical detector having a wide field-of-view and orienting said optical detector for said wide field-of-view to encompass said width of said environment, said optical detector having a plurality of sub-detectors, each having an individual narrow field-of-view, each individual narrow field-of-view creating a channel in said wide field-of-view; driving the LED light source into emitting light toward the environment, said width of said environment being illuminated by said light, said light having an emitted light waveform, said emitted light waveform having short light pulses, each light pulse having a width of less than 50 ns and an amplitude greater than a nominal value of said LED light source and said waveform having a low duty cycle; receiving and acquiring an individual complete temporal waveform trace of a reflection/backscatter of the emitted light on the object in the environment at each sub-detector of said plurality, thereby combining said individual narrow field-of-view to create said wide field-of-view encompassing said width of said environment and thereby receiving and acquiring an individual complete trace for each channel, said individual complete temporal waveform trace being acquired from a moment when said emitting begins over a length of time continuing after said emitting has ended and ending before emission of a next one of said short light pulses, said acquiring including acquiring and storing multiple time-spaced sampling points at each sub-detector to acquire and store said individual complete temporal waveform trace; converting said acquired individual complete trace of said reflection/backscatter into an individual digital signal; and detecting and identifying at least one of a presence of an object in the environment, a position of the object in the environment, a distance between the object and the LED light source and a visibility in said environment, using said emitted light waveform and at least one of said individual digital signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A multi-channel LED object detection system for detecting an object located in an environment, said environment having a width, comprising:
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a Light-Emitting-Diode (LED) light source having a wide field-of-illumination oriented for said wide field-of-illumination to encompass said width of said environment; a source controller for said LED light source for driving said LED light source into emitting light toward the environment, said width of said environment being illuminated by said light, said light having an emitted light waveform, said emitted light waveform having short light pulses, each light pulse having a width of less than 50 ns and an amplitude greater than a nominal value of said LED light source and said waveform having a low duty cycle; an optical detector having a wide field-of-view oriented for said wide field-of-view to encompass said width of said environment, said optical detector having a plurality of sub-detectors, each having an individual narrow field-of-view, each individual narrow field-of-view creating a channel in said wide field-of-view, said optical detector receiving an individual complete temporal waveform trace of a reflection/backscatter of the emitted light on the object in the environment at each sub-detector of said plurality, thereby combining said individual narrow field-of-view to create said wide field-of-view encompassing said width of said environment and thereby receiving and acquiring an individual complete trace for each channel, said individual complete temporal waveform trace being acquired from a moment when said source controller drives said LED light source to emit and over a length of time continuing after said source controller has stopped driving said LED light source to emit and ending before said source controller drives said LED light source to emit a next one of said short light pulses, said optical detector acquiring and storing multiple time-spaced sampling points at each sub-detector to acquire and store said individual complete temporal waveform trace; an analog-to-digital converter for converting each said individual complete trace of said reflection/backscatter into an individual digital signal; a memory for acquiring and storing each said individual complete trace; and a signal processor for detecting and identifying at least one of a presence of an object in the environment, a position of the object in the environment, a distance between the object and the LED light source and a visibility in said environment, using said emitted light waveform and at least one of said individual digital signal and outputting a data output associated to the object. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification