Detector for optically detecting at least one longitudinal coordinate of one object by determining a number of illuminated pixels

• US 9,829,564 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2014
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BASF SE
• Original Assignee: BASF SE
• Inventors: Bruder, Ingmar, Thiel, Erwin, Irle, Stephan, Send, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Que T
• Application Number:
  US14/896,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20160127664A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,272 Days
• Field of Search: 250221, 250214 R
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/002 for measuring two or more coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/32 by focusing the object, e.g. on a ground glass screen
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/12 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/46 Indirect determination of position data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/163 Determination of attitude using inertial means G01C9/00; control of attitude G05D1/49
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4816 of receivers alone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/50 Control of the SSIS exposure

Abstract

A detector (110) for determining a position of at least one object (118) is disclosed. The detector (110) comprises:

• • at least one optical sensor (112), the optical sensor (112) being adapted to detect a light beam (150) traveling from the object (118) towards the detector (110), the optical sensor (112) having at least one matrix (152) of pixels (154); and
  • at least one evaluation device (126), the evaluation device (126) being adapted to determine a number N of pixels (154) of the optical sensor (112) which are illuminated by the light beam (150), the evaluation device (126) further being adapted to determine at least one longitudinal coordinate of the object (118) by using the number N of pixels (154) which are illuminated by the light beam (150).

Claims

1. A detector for determining a position of at least one object, the detector comprising:

at least one optical sensor, the optical sensor being adapted to detect a light beam traveling from the object towards the detector, the optical sensor having at least one matrix of pixels; and

at least one evaluation device, the evaluation device being adapted to determine a number N of pixels of the optical sensor which are illuminated by the light beam, the evaluation device further being adapted to determine at least one longitudinal coordinate of the object by using the number N of pixels which are illuminated by the light beam.

2. The detector according to claim 1, wherein the optical sensor is adapted to generate at least one signal indicating an intensity of illumination for each of the pixels.

3. The detector according to claim 2, wherein the evaluation device is adapted to compare, for each of the pixels, the signal to at least one threshold in order to determine whether the pixel is an illuminated pixel or not.

4. The detector according to claim 3, wherein the evaluation device is adapted to determine at least one pixel having the highest illumination out of the pixels by comparing the signals of the pixels.

5. The detector according to claim 4, wherein the evaluation device is further adapted to choose the threshold as a fraction of the signal of the at least one pixel having the highest illumination.

6. The detector according to claim 5, wherein the evaluation device is adapted to choose the threshold by multiplying the signal of the at least one pixel having the highest illumination with a factor of 1/e².

7. The detector according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation device is adapted to determine the longitudinal coordinate of the object by using a predeteiinined relationship between the number N of pixels which are illuminated by the light beam and the longitudinal coordinate.

8. The detector according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined relationship is based on the assumption of the light beam being a Gaussian light beam.

9. The detector according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined relationship is

10. The detector according to claim 1, wherein the detector comprises a plurality of the optical sensors.

11. The detector according to claim 10, wherein the detector comprises n optical sensors, wherein the evaluation device is adapted to determine the number N_i of pixels which are illuminated by the light beam for each of the optical sensors, wherein iε

{1, n} denotes the respective optical sensor.

12. The detector according to claim 10, wherein the evaluation device is adapted to compare the number N_i of pixels which are illuminated by the light beam for each optical sensor with at least one neighboring optical sensor, thereby resolving an ambiguity in the longitudinal coordinate of the object.

13. The detector according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the optical sensors is transparent.

14. The detector according to claim 10, wherein at least two of the optical sensors have a differing spectral sensitivity, wherein the evaluation device is adapted to determine a color of the light beam by comparing sensor signals of the optical sensors having the differing spectral sensitivity.

15. The detector according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation device is further adapted to determine at least one transversal coordinate of the object by determining a position of the light beam on the matrix of pixels.

16. The detector according to claim 1, wherein the detector further comprises at least one transfer device, the transfer device being adapted to guide the light beam onto the optical sensor.

17. The detector according to claim 1, wherein the optical sensor comprises at least one first electrode, at least one second electrode and at least one light-sensitive layer embedded in between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the first electrode comprises a plurality of first electrode stripes and wherein the second electrode comprises a plurality of second electrode stripes, wherein the first electrode stripes are oriented perpendicular to the second electrode stripes.

18. A detector system for determining a position of at least one object, the detector system comprising at least one detector according to claim 1, the detector system further comprising at least one beacon device adapted to direct at least one light beam towards the detector, wherein the beacon device is at least one of attachable to the object, holdable by the object and integratable into the object.

19. A human-machine interface for exchanging at least one item of information between a user and a machine, wherein the human-machine interface comprises at least one detector system according to claim 18, wherein the at least one beacon device is adapted to be at least one of directly or indirectly attached to the user and held by the user, wherein the human-machine interface is designed to determine at least one position of the user by means of the detector system, wherein the human-machine interface is designed to assign to the position at least one item of information.

20. An entertainment device for carrying out at least one entertainment function, wherein the entertainment device comprises at least one human-machine interface according to claim 19, wherein the entertainment device is designed to enable at least one item of information to be input by a player by means of the human-machine interface, wherein the entertainment device is designed to vary the entertainment function in accordance with the information.

21. A tracking system for tracking a position of at least one movable object, the tracking system comprising at least one detector system according to claim 18, the tracking system further comprising at least one track controller, wherein the track controller is adapted to track a series of positions of the object at specific points in time.

22. A camera for imaging at least one object, the camera comprising at least one detector according to claim 1.

24. A method for position measurement in traffic technology, the method comprising using the detector according to claim 1.

25. A method for entertainment, the method comprising using the detector according to claim 1.

26. A method for security, the method comprising using the detector according to claim 1.

27. A method for safety, the method comprising using the detector according to claim 1.

28. A method for providing a human-machine interface, the method comprising using the detector according to claim 1.

29. A method for tracking, the method comprising using the detector according to claim 1.

30. A method for photography, the method comprising using the detector according to claim 1.

31. A method for performing at least one time-of-flight measurement, the method comprising using the detector according to claim 1 in combination with at least one time-of -flight detector.

23. A method for determining a position of at least one object, the method comprising the following steps:

at least one detection step, wherein at least one light beam traveling from the object to a detector is detected by at least one optical sensor of the detector, the at least one optical sensor having at least one matrix of pixels; and

at least one evaluation step, wherein a number N of pixels of the optical sensor is determined which are illuminated by the light beam, wherein at least one longitudinal coordinate of the object is determined by using the number N of pixels which are illuminated by the light beam.