Object Detection Using Segmented Evaluation Area

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing object detection methods struggle to reliably distinguish between objects and dust particles, especially under high spatial resolution and sensitivity conditions, leading to incorrect switching signals and distance measurements due to the reflection of light by dust particles.

Innovation Solution

The method divides the evaluation area into sub-regions, evaluating each sub-region at different times or simultaneously, and combines the results to determine object presence, thereby reducing the impact of dust particles by limiting their reflected energy contribution to a single sub-region evaluation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the entire evaluation area is evaluated at a single point in time with high spatial resolution and sensitivity, then object detection precision is improved, but dust particles are incorrectly identified as objects leading to false detection

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveobject detection precisionVSAvoiddetection reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The evaluation area is divided into multiple sub-regions that are evaluated at different points in time. This segmentation allows the system to maintain high spatial resolution and sensitivity for each sub-region while reducing the probability that dust particles will be consistently detected across all sub-regions, thereby eliminating false detections while preserving detection precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If the evaluation area is divided into sub-regions and evaluated at different points in time, then dust particle false detection is suppressed, but the detection process becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection reliabilityVSAvoidevaluation process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The evaluation area is divided into multiple sub-regions that are evaluated at different points in time. This segmentation allows the system to maintain high spatial resolution and sensitivity for each sub-region while reducing the probability that dust particles will be consistently detected across all sub-regions, thereby eliminating false detections while preserving detection precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Measurement precision

If multiple pulses of transmitted light are used to evaluate the entire evaluation area, then detection sensitivity is improved, but dust particle signals are accumulated leading to incorrect object recognition

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection sensitivityVSAvoidsignal accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The evaluation area is divided into multiple sub-regions that are evaluated at different points in time. This segmentation allows the system to maintain high spatial resolution and sensitivity for each sub-region while reducing the probability that dust particles will be consistently detected across all sub-regions, thereby eliminating false detections while preserving detection precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses periodic pulsing of transmitted light combined with sequential sub-region evaluation. By evaluating different sub-regions at different times rather than accumulating signals from the entire area simultaneously, the system maintains detection sensitivity through multiple pulses while preventing dust particle signal accumulation that would lead to false object recognition.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic 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

This approach effectively suppresses incorrect detection of dust particles, ensuring robust object recognition even in dusty environments by minimizing the energy contribution of dust particles in the overall evaluation, thus preventing false triggering and accurate object detection.

Implementation Method 1

dust particles, for example, are present in the air between the object to be detected and the light source, which reflect the pulses of transmitted light emitted by the light source

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectReflection: Reflection

Data Source

PatentEP3147689B1Method for detecting an object
Publication Date: 2018.11.14 SICK AG
  • EP3147689B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for detecting an object, in which pulses of transmitted light are repeatedly emitted into a transmission area by means of a light source, received light from the detection area is detected by means of a detection device comprising several detectors, and an evaluation area comprising several detectors is defined within which the received light strikes the detectors. The method is characterized in that several sub-regions are defined within the evaluation area, the sub-regions are evaluated at least partially sequentially using several successive pulses of transmitted light, and the evaluations of the sub-regions are combined to determine the presence of an object in the detection area.