Monitor Area Setting Device for Optical Scanning Units

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional area setting tools for area monitoring sensors face difficulties in easily adding or deleting user-specified areas, especially those distant from the existing monitor area, due to the sensor's limitations in setting non-sensing areas and poor operability when editing monitor areas with complex shapes.

Innovation Solution

A monitor area setting device that automatically extracts inconsistent areas between the existing monitor area and the user-specified addition or deletion areas, updating the area setting information to form new monitor areas, and includes features like inconsistent area display and inquiry dialogues to improve operability and convenience during editing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If conventional area setting tools use lines or arcs connecting vertices to define monitor areas, then the monitor area can be set with simple geometric shapes, but it becomes difficult to add or delete user specified areas especially those distant from the existing monitor area

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of area settingVSAvoidease of editing monitor area

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical geometric construction method (connecting vertices with lines or arcs) with a computational approach using the area monitoring sensor's detection capabilities. The system calculates inconsistent areas by comparing the existing monitor area with the user-specified area using the sensor's detection data, automatically determining the difference region without requiring manual geometric construction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs self-service by automatically calculating and identifying the inconsistent area between the existing monitor area and the user-specified area. The area monitoring sensor and processing unit work together to autonomously determine the difference region, eliminating the need for users to manually compute complex geometric differences.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Device complexity

If the area monitoring sensor cannot set non-sensing areas on the forward side or sensing areas on the backward side, then the sensor structure remains simple, but editing the monitor area requires considering sensor characteristics which reduces operability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesensor structure complexityVSAvoidease of editing monitor area

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary computational layer (the processing unit and area setting tool) that mediates between the user's area specification and the sensor's detection capabilities. This intermediary automatically handles the conversion of user-specified areas into sensor-compatible monitor areas, shielding users from the sensor's directional limitations while maintaining simple sensor hardware.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If users manually specify complex monitor areas considering sensor characteristics, then accurate monitoring can be achieved, but the operation becomes complex and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemonitoring accuracyVSAvoidtime for editing monitor area

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by pre-calculating the inconsistent area between the existing monitor area and the user-specified area before finalizing the monitor area setting. The processing unit automatically determines the difference region using sensor detection data, so users only need to specify the desired area without manually considering sensor characteristics or performing complex geometric calculations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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

Enables easy addition and deletion of areas without full knowledge of the area monitoring sensor, improving operability by allowing the user to specify complex shapes as monitor areas and identifying inconsistent areas for accurate editing.

Implementation Method 1

senses an intruder within the monitor area based on reflection of the detection light

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectReflection: Reflection

Data Source

PatentUS8063780B2Monitor area setting device for optical scanning unit

Publication Date: 2011.11.22 KEYENCE CORP

AI summary

This invention provides a monitor area setting device with which an area can be easily added to or deleted from a monitor area. The device includes: an area addition/deletion specifying unit that specifies an addition area and a deletion area based on an input signal from an operating unit; an inconsistent area extraction unit that extracts an area that is between the safety area and the addition area with respect to the safety sensor as an inconsistent area; and an area setting update unit that updates area setting information so as to set an area formed either by adding the addition area and the inconsistent area to the safety area or by excluding the deletion area and the inconsistent area from the safety area as a new monitor area.