Safety Laser Scanner Compensation for Reflective Backgrounds
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laser scanners face interference from reflective backgrounds, leading to incorrect distance measurements and potential safety hazards due to incorrectly estimated object positions, necessitating the addition of an additional distance to the safety area to compensate, which reduces the effective usable area.
Innovation Solution
A laser scanner system with a processor configured to recognize reflective backgrounds and correct corrupted distance measurements using multiple amplification channels and a decider block to determine measurement correction values, reducing the need for additional safety area distance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional distance is added to the safety area to compensate for reflective background, then measurement reliability is improved, but the effective usable area is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the safety area into multiple zones based on distance from the laser scanner. The first zone (closer to the scanner) uses a first additional distance value, while the second zone (farther from the scanner) uses a second additional distance value that is smaller than the first. This segmentation allows different compensation levels in different spatial regions, improving measurement reliability where needed while preserving more usable area in regions where less compensation is required.
2Measurement precision
If additional distance is added to compensate for reflective background, then object detection accuracy is improved, but the monitored area coverage is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of the additional distance based on the detected distance to the object and the identified background reflectivity. The system continuously adapts the compensation distance value rather than using a fixed offset, allowing accurate object detection while maximizing the monitored area coverage by reducing unnecessary compensation in regions with lower reflectivity interference.
3Reliability
If additional distance is added to the safety area boundary, then false alarms are reduced, but the productivity of the monitored area is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial compensation by using different additional distance values for different zones rather than applying a uniform excessive compensation across the entire safety area. The first additional distance value provides sufficient compensation to reduce false alarms in the critical near zone, while the second smaller value in the far zone maintains productivity by minimizing unnecessary area reduction where reflectivity interference is less problematic.
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
Improves safety scanner performance by enabling accurate monitoring in heterogeneous environments with reduced additional distance, preventing false alarms and ensuring objects are detected within the safety area.
Implementation Method 1
Using the time of flight for pulses of light reflected by an object and the speed of light, the distance of an object may also be determined.
Implementation Method 2
The light beam may be moved by a scanning mirror or other deflection unit which rotates or oscillates to direct light beams over the area.
Implementation Method 3
an optical system for a laser scanner includes a laser source configured to emit pulses of light toward a target object
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A distance measuring device is disclosed that includes a controller operably coupled with a receiver to receive different amplification channels. The controller includes a time of flight core configured to determine time of flight information for the light pulse; and a decider block configured to determine a measurement correction value for the device based on a determination of a presence of a reflective background that is different than a measurement correction value selected for the device when there exists a diffuse background or an absence of a background into a reading field.