Photoelectric Sensor Automatic Sensitivity Adjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users of photoelectric sensors often fail to properly adjust sensitivity before setting thresholds, leading to inadequate detection accuracy due to increased user burden and potential misconfiguration, especially when users are unaware of the need for sensitivity adjustment or perform threshold setting without prior sensitivity adjustment.

Innovation Solution

The photoelectric sensor automatically adjusts sensitivity and allows for easy threshold setting by measuring received light amounts based on predefined manipulation procedures, using sensitivity adjustment rules and light amount decision rules stored in a storage part to determine suitable reference light amounts for threshold setting.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If sensitivity adjustment processing is performed before threshold setting, then detection accuracy is improved, but user burden increases due to additional processing steps

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetection accuracyVSAvoiduser burden

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs sensitivity adjustment processing in advance before threshold setting, storing the adjusted sensitivity parameters in memory. This preliminary action ensures that when users perform threshold setting, the sensitivity is already optimized, eliminating the need for users to understand or perform complex sensitivity adjustment procedures while maintaining high detection accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The photoelectric sensor automatically performs sensitivity adjustment using its own internal mechanisms and stored received light amount data, without requiring external assistance or complex user operations. The system self-adjusts by comparing current received light amounts with historically stored data to determine optimal sensitivity parameters

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of operation

If threshold setting is performed without sensitivity adjustment, then ease of operation is improved, but detection accuracy deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of threshold settingVSAvoiddetection accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses stored received light amount data as an intermediary to bridge the gap between sensitivity adjustment and threshold setting. By comparing current received light amounts with historically stored data, the system automatically determines appropriate sensitivity parameters, allowing users to set thresholds without directly managing sensitivity adjustments

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple setting processing procedures are provided for different intended purposes, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesetting processing adaptabilityVSAvoidprocessing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The photoelectric sensor implements a universal sensitivity adjustment mechanism that works across multiple different setting processing procedures and intended purposes. The same core mechanism of comparing received light amounts with stored data and automatically adjusting sensitivity parameters applies whether the user is performing two-point teaching, one-point teaching, or other setting procedures, eliminating the need for separate complexity-heavy adjustment mechanisms for each purpose

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 ensures that sensitivity and thresholds are set optimally for detection, reducing user burden and enhancing usability by automating sensitivity adjustment and threshold setting processes, even if the user is unaware of the necessity for sensitivity adjustment.

Implementation Method 1

a light-receiving part (104) provided in the main body (10) and receiving the light (1111) projected from the light projecting part (103)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhotoelectric Effect: Photoelectric Effect

Data Source

PatentEP2581766B1Photoelectric sensor

Publication Date: 2023.11.29 OMRON CORP

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AI summary

A photoelectric sensor has a light projecting part, a light-receiving part, and a detector. The detector performs object detection processing by comparing a received light amount obtained through the light-receiving processing to a previously-stored threshold. The photoelectric sensor also has a manipulation part, a manipulation receiver, a reference received light amount determination part, and a sensitivity adjuster.