Scanning Multi-Beam Sensor Homogeneous Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing scanning multi-beam sensors, such as light grids, face challenges in adjusting and synchronizing multiple light sources and receivers, leading to complex installations and potential blind spots due to non-homogeneous illumination.
Innovation Solution
A scanning multi-beam sensor utilizing a common light source coupled into an optical fiber structure with identical optical path lengths for all outputs, eliminating the need for individual light sources and simplifying the grid structure, allowing for synchronized light pulses and improved illumination homogeneity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple individual light sources and receivers are used to form a scanning light grid, then the monitoring area can be covered, but the installation and adjustment becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual light sources into a single common light source that illuminates all light guides simultaneously. This merging eliminates the need for multiple separate light sources and their individual adjustments, significantly simplifying installation while maintaining comprehensive monitoring coverage through the light guide array.
Solution Approach 2:
The common light source serves multiple functions by illuminating all light guides at once, replacing the need for multiple dedicated light sources. This multi-functional approach reduces system complexity and installation burden while maintaining the ability to monitor the entire area through the distributed light guide network.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple individual light sources are used, then each transmitter can be controlled independently, but synchronization and adjustment between them becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
By merging multiple light sources into one common light source, the patent eliminates synchronization issues between independent sources. The single light source naturally provides uniform illumination to all light guides without requiring complex timing coordination or angular adjustments, while the system retains adaptability through the light guide configuration.
3Device complexity
If beam-shaping optics are used to limit transmission and reception beams, then adjustment requirements are manageable, but blind spots occur due to non-homogeneous illumination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses light guides to copy and distribute the common light source's illumination uniformly across all transmission paths. Each light guide acts as a copy of the original light source, ensuring homogeneous illumination throughout the monitoring area without creating blind spots, while beam-shaping optics continue to provide manageable adjustment characteristics.
4Measurement precision
If a single-photon avalanche diode is used with one light transmitter per light receiver, then detection sensitivity is improved, but the system requires precise synchronization and individual control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple light transmitters into a single common light source that feeds all light guides simultaneously. This eliminates the need for individual control and synchronization of multiple transmitters, reducing system control complexity while maintaining high detection sensitivity through the use of single-photon avalanche diodes at each receiver.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic scanning of light guides in sequence rather than continuous simultaneous operation. This periodic action allows the single-photon avalanche diodes to detect reflected light from each light guide in turn, maintaining high detection sensitivity while simplifying control requirements compared to simultaneous multi-transmitter operation.
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 solution simplifies the installation process, reduces space requirements, eliminates the need for precise adjustments, and ensures more homogeneous illumination and detection across the monitored area, avoiding blind spots and enhancing detection accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
an optical fiber structure with an input for coupling in transmitted light from a common light source, a large number of outputs for coupling out transmitted light and a large number of optical fiber branches for guiding the transmitted light from the input to the outputs
Implementation Method 2
If the transmitted light beams strike an object in the monitored area, they are reflected to at least one light receiver which is on the same side as the light emitter in relation to the monitored area
Implementation Method 3
a scanning light grid can also measure the distance of the touched object using a time-of-flight method. A distinction is made here between pulse propagation time methods, in which a short light pulse is emitted and the time until the reflected light pulse is received
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3
AI summary
A tactile light grid (10) for detecting objects (28a, 28b, 28c) in a monitoring area (12) is specified, which has at least one light source (14) for generating transmitted light, a light guide structure (20) for dividing the transmitted light into a plurality of light emitters (24a, 24b, 24c) for emitting transmitted light beams (26a, 26b, 26c), a plurality of light receivers (34) for receiving the transmitted light reflected by the objects as a monitoring beam each, and a control and evaluation unit (36) which detects the objects on the basis of the respective received signals from the light receivers (34).The optical fiber structure has an optical fiber input for coupling in the transmitted light, a plurality of optical fiber outputs for coupling out the transmitted light, and a plurality of optical fiber branches for guiding the transmitted light from the optical fiber input to the optical fiber outputs, wherein the optical path length from the optical fiber input to each of the optical fiber outputs is the same.