Arcuate Laser Scanner Layout Without Moving Scan Parts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laser scanners face challenges in robustly detecting small useful light levels and are prone to mechanical wear due to movable parts, which affects their service life and sensitivity to environmental factors.
Innovation Solution
A laser scanner design featuring a plurality of light transmitters and receivers arranged in a circular or arcuate form within a common housing, utilizing a fan-like transmission and reception of light beams without mechanically movable parts, employing deflection prisms for beam deflection, and using single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) for enhanced sensitivity and sequential light reception.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mechanically movable parts are used in laser scanners to scan light beams, then the laser scanner can achieve wide coverage and scanning capability, but the mechanical parts are subject to wear and environmental influences, reducing service life and reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanically movable scanning parts with a fixed array of light transmitters and receivers arranged in an arcuate or curved line configuration. The system achieves scanning capability through the spatial arrangement of multiple static light beams transmitted and received in different angular directions, eliminating mechanical wear and improving reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The laser scanner is divided into multiple discrete light transmitters and light receivers arranged in segments along an arcuate path. Each light transmitter and receiver pair operates independently to cover different angular sectors, allowing the system to achieve wide coverage without requiring moving parts.
2Reliability
If a fixed array of light transmitters and receivers is used without mechanical parts, then reliability and service life are improved, but achieving precise angular resolution and fan-like beam transmission becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The light transmitters and light receivers are arranged in an arcuate or curved line configuration rather than a straight line. This curved arrangement naturally provides angular distribution of light beams in a fan-like pattern, improving angular precision and coverage while maintaining the robustness of a fixed, mechanically simple structure.
3Area of stationary object
If multiple light transmitters and receivers are arranged in an arcuate form to achieve wide coverage, then the monitored zone is expanded, but the device size and housing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The arcuate array of light transmitters and receivers is integrated within a compact housing structure. The curved arrangement allows the components to be nested along an arc, efficiently utilizing the housing volume to achieve wide angular coverage without proportionally increasing the overall device size.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design provides a robust, long-lasting scanner with high angular precision and measurement accuracy, reducing mechanical wear and sensitivity to vibrations, while maintaining high sensitivity and accuracy in detecting objects within a monitored zone.
Implementation Method 1
Avalanche photodiodes (APDs) are used for this purpose for example. The incident light here triggers a controlled avalanche effect. The charge carriers generated by incident photons are thereby multiplied and a photocurrent is produced that is proportional to the received light intensity
Implementation Method 2
the light beams are transmitted and received in the manner of a fan in different angular directions through a convex front screen at an outer side of the housing
Implementation Method 3
a control and evaluation unit 4 for evaluating the time of flight of light beams from light transmitters 2 via an object 5 to light receivers 3
Implementation Method 4
the time up to the reception of the returning light pulse is measured
Data Source
AI summary
A laser scanner having a plurality of light transmitters, a plurality of light receivers and a control and evaluation unit, wherein a plurality of light transmitters and a plurality of light receivers are respectively arranged in the form of a segment of a circle, in arcuate form, or along a curved line in a common housing, wherein the light beams are transmitted and received in the manner of a fan in different angular directions through a convex front screen at an outer side of the housing, wherein the distances of the transmitted light beams of the light transmitters increase as the distance from the laser scanner increases and/or the distances of the received light beams of the light receivers decrease as the distance from the laser scanner decreases and wherein the light receivers are configured to respectively form a linear reception zone.