Optical Unit Dynamic Address Allocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional safety light curtains have high fabrication costs and unidirectional optical communication, making assembly and maintenance complex, and existing address allocation methods require pre-defined component functions and locations, limiting flexibility and testability.
Innovation Solution
Dynamic address allocation based on geometric position using a daisy chain addressing scheme, allowing optoelectronic components to be assigned unique addresses during assembly or setup, facilitating flexible and cost-effective setup and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pre-defined address allocation is used for optoelectronic components, then the function within the bus system is determined, but the assembly flexibility and adaptability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic address allocation where addresses are not fixed during manufacturing but are automatically assigned during system operation based on the geometric positions of components. This allows the system to adapt to different assembly configurations while maintaining reliable address identification, resolving the contradiction between address reliability and assembly flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the address parameter dynamically based on the spatial position parameters of optoelectronic components. By using geometric position data to determine addresses rather than fixed manufacturing assignments, the system maintains reliable addressing while accommodating various assembly arrangements and retrofitting scenarios.
2Reliability
If dedicated emitter and receiver optical units are used, then the optical communication function is achieved, but the fabrication costs and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes optical units universal by enabling them to perform both transmission and reception functions. Instead of having separate dedicated emitter and receiver units, each optical unit can operate in both modes, reducing the number of different component types needed while maintaining reliable bidirectional optical communication through the protective field.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of separate emitter and receiver optical units into unified multi-functional units. By combining transmission and reception capabilities in single optical units, the system reduces fabrication costs and device complexity while maintaining the necessary optical communication functions for safety monitoring.
3Device complexity
If unidirectional optical communication is used from emitter to receiver, then the simple architecture is maintained, but the synchronization difficulty and maintenance complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional unidirectional optical communication architecture by implementing bidirectional communication. Optical units can transmit and receive signals in both directions across the protective field, enabling mutual synchronization between units and simplifying maintenance through reciprocal signal exchange and diagnostic capabilities.
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 reduces assembly costs and enhances flexibility and maintainability by allowing dynamic address allocation, improving adaptability to operational data structures and simplifying retrofitting and repair processes.
Implementation Method 1
each optoelectronic component (116) comprises at least one light-emitting element (118) and at least one light-receiving element (120)
Implementation Method 2
at least one light-receiving element (120) for receiving the light beam emitted by the light-emitting element (118) and for generating a signal
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The present invention relates to light curtains, in particular safety light curtains, for monitoring a protective field, in particular to optical units of such light curtains which comprise optoelectronic components interconnected by a communication bus, and to a method for allocating individual addresses to each of a plurality of optoelectronic components. The optical unit comprises a controller unit, a plurality of optoelectronic components (116) interconnected by means of a communication bus (124), each of said optoelectronic components (116) having a transmission input terminal for receiving a transmission signal and a transmission output terminal for outputting a transmission signal, and a receiving terminal for receiving a control signal from said control unit. An individual address is allocated to each of said optoelectronic components (116) depending on a position of the respective optoelectronic component with respect to the other optoelectronic components.