Optical Sensor Beam Path Overlap for Compact Leakage Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical sensors face challenges in reducing overall size and minimizing unwanted beam leakage due to the separation of light paths by partition walls, which complicates self-diagnosis and increases sensor dimensions.
Innovation Solution
The optical sensor incorporates a housing unit with a reflective portion that allows for overlapping optical paths of projected and reflected beams within the housing unit, enabling closer placement of light emitting and receiving units and reducing beam leakage through controlled monitoring and detection controls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If partition walls are used to separate light paths, then beam leakage is reduced, but device size increases and self-diagnosis becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the partition wall structure from the optical sensor design. Instead of using physical separation, the system allows the projected beam and reflected beam to share the same optical path space within the housing unit, eliminating the need for complex partition structures while maintaining beam control through optical positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the optical paths of the projected beam and reflected beam within the housing unit. By allowing these beams to coexist in the same spatial region and use shared optical components, the design reduces overall sensor size while the control unit manages beam separation through precise optical path control.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If partition walls separate light paths, then beam leakage is minimized, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the partition wall component entirely from the system. The housing unit is designed without internal partitions, simplifying the structural design while the control unit compensates by actively managing beam paths through electronic control of the scanning unit and optical positioning.
3Volume of stationary object
If light emitting and receiving units are placed closer, then device size is reduced, but beam interference increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic beam path management where the scanning unit continuously adjusts the angular position of the projected beam. This dynamic control, combined with temporal separation of beam emission and reception timing, allows close placement of light emitting and receiving units while preventing beam interference through active optical path control.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit implements feedback control by monitoring the positions and states of both the projected and reflected beams. Based on this feedback, the system adjusts the scanning unit's angular position and timing to maintain proper beam separation, enabling compact unit placement without interference while ensuring accurate detection.
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 configuration minimizes the overall size of the sensor and reduces unwanted beam leakage, enhancing detection accuracy and monitoring capabilities by maintaining beams within the housing unit during both detection and monitoring operations.
Implementation Method 1
a scanning unit to scan the projected beam emitted by the light emitting unit toward the outside within the housing unit and to reflect the reflected beam from the outside toward the light receiving unit within the housing unit
Implementation Method 2
The housing unit has a reflective portion with a reflective property for the projected beam
Data Source
AI summary
An optical sensor includes a housing unit that separates an outside from an inside. The optical sensor features an optical unit with a light emitting unit to emit a projected beam and a light receiving unit to receive a reflected beam within the housing unit. A scanning unit scans the projected beam toward the outside and reflects the reflected beam back to the light receiving unit. A control unit manages both the optical unit and the scanning unit. The housing unit includes a reflective portion with reflective properties for the projected beam. The control unit performs detection control to form overlapping optical paths in the housing unit to detect the outside. It also performs monitoring control to form optical paths between the optical unit and the reflective portion, monitoring the optical unit's properties.