Distance Measuring Sensor for Opening Safety Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing safety systems for passage openings in industrial settings face challenges in reliably and efficiently preventing unauthorized access by people while allowing permissible objects to pass through, as they often require complex configuration, are prone to errors, and fail to detect smaller objects or people effectively.
Innovation Solution
A distance-measuring optoelectronic sensor system that evaluates objects by comparing recorded image information with stored reference contour information of known permissible objects, allowing rapid classification and admissibility checks without additional sensors, and includes features like pre-selection, tolerance thresholds, and movement profile analysis for enhanced reliability and flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional optoelectronic sensors are used to detect intrusion in passage openings, then safety monitoring is achieved, but the system complexity increases due to additional sensors required for muting functionality and configuration
Solution Approach 1:
The distance-measuring optoelectronic sensor performs multiple functions simultaneously: it monitors intrusion for safety purposes and measures distances to objects in the monitored area. This eliminates the need for separate muting sensors and reduces system complexity while maintaining safety reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the safety monitoring function and the distance measurement function into a single optoelectronic sensor system. By merging these functions, the system avoids the complexity of configuring multiple sensors and their interconnections, while achieving both safety monitoring and intelligent protection capabilities.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional safety sensors are used with muting functionality, then permissible objects can pass through, but the configuration and wiring outlay increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The single optoelectronic sensor system provides both safety monitoring and distance measurement capabilities, enabling the system to distinguish between permissible objects and intrusions without requiring additional muting sensors or complex wiring configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor system automatically determines whether to trigger a safety response by evaluating distance measurements and object characteristics itself, eliminating the need for external muting stations and complex inter-sensor communication wiring.
3Ease of manufacture
If mechanical protection means like silhouettes are used, then simple object detection is achieved, but smaller objects or people can enter undetected
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses distance measurement capabilities to detect objects of varying sizes and shapes by measuring their distance from the sensor and analyzing their contour characteristics, enabling reliable detection of both large objects and smaller people without requiring complex mechanical silhouettes.
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
This solution enables fast and reliable detection of permissible objects, prevents unauthorized access, and reduces the complexity of configuration, ensuring safety without additional sensors, while allowing permissible objects to pass through without triggering emergency stops.
Implementation Method 1
a light transmitter (12) for emitting a light beam (14) into the through-opening (40), a light receiver (24) for generating a received signal (20) from the light beam (14) reflected by objects (48) in the through-opening (40)
Implementation Method 2
measuring the time-of-flight to the objects in the monitored scenery for each pixel and to obtain the depth information from this
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
A distance-measuring optoelectronic sensor (10) for mounting on a through-opening (40) is described, which is configured to acquire in real time depth-resolved image information of that part of an object (48) moving through the through-opening (40) which is located within the detection range of the sensor (10), with a storage unit (32) which holds known objects and their reference contour information, and with an evaluation unit (30) which is configured to compare the image information and the reference contour information in order to decide whether an object (48) to be tested, located in the through-opening (40), is permissible there, wherein the sensor (10) has a safety output (34) via which a safety signal can be output if the object (48) to be tested is not permissible in the through-opening (40).The evaluation unit (30) is designed to remember, for each known object (50) stored in the storage unit (32), whether it could be the object (48) to be tested, and during the movement of the object (48) through the through-opening (40), to exclude such known objects (50) where the comparison of the image information and the reference contour information reveals differences beyond a tolerance threshold, whereby no safety signal is output as long as at least one known permissible object (50) is still possible for the object (48) to be tested.