Sick Ag

Bernd Rothenberger

Ingolf Braune

Gottfried Hug

Manfred Haberer

Carsten Natzkowski

Fabian Jachmann

Michael Engler

Boris Szerbakowski

Thomas Dollmann

Konrad Winterer

Jonas Rist

Shane Macnamara

Dennis Lipschinski

The invention relates to a method of setting a plurality of part regions of a desired protected zone, in which

Method of setting a plurality of part regions of a desired protected zone

A distance-measuring sensor () is provided for detecting and determining the distance of objects () in a monitored zone comprising a transmitter () for transmitting transmitted pulses; a receiver () for generating a received signal from the transmitted pulses remitted in the monitored zone; a first comparator unit () for digitizing the received signal with reference to a first threshold; and a control and evaluation unit () which is configured to transmit a plurality of transmitted pulses via the transmitter (), to collect the received signals thereupon generated by the receiver () in a histogram and to determine a received time point from the histogram and thus to determine a measured value for the signal transit time from the sensor () to the object (). In this respect, a second comparator unit () is provided for digitizing the received signal with reference to a second threshold, wherein the first comparator unit (), the second comparator unit () and the control and evaluation unit () are configured to acquire three digital states of a respective section of the received signal with reference to the first threshold and to weight the contributions of the section to the histogram in dependence on the digital state.

Distance-measuring sensor and method for detecting and determining the distance of objects

A distance measuring optoelectronic safety sensor () for monitoring a monitored zone () having at least one protected zone () is provided, wherein the safety sensor () has a light receiver () for generating a received signal on light reception from the monitored zone () as well as an evaluation unit () which is designed to detect objects () in the monitored zone () with the aid of the received signal and to determine their position, including their distance from the safety sensor (), and to output a securing signal on recognition of an unpermitted object intrusion () into a protected zone (). In this respect, the evaluation unit () is designed to determine and output the distance of detected objects () from the protected zone ().

Distance measuring optoelectronic safety sensor and method of monitoring a monitored zone

A method and device for monitoring a monitored area with at least one camera and in which the monitored area has a contrast strip with at least one bright partial strip and/or at least one dark partial strip that extend in the longitudinal direction. A control unit recognizes the obscuration of a minimum area of the bright partial strip and/or the dark partial strip as the entry of an object into the monitored area. The control unit detects from an image of the camera the obscuration in columns which are oriented transverse to the contrast strip. A violation of the signature of the contrast strip is recognized when a first minimum number of bright pixels between the bright beginning and the bright end of the bright partial strip and/or a second minimum number of dark pixels between the dark beginning and the dark end of the dark partial strip in the respective columns, and the obscuration of the minimum area as the obscuration of a predetermined number of side-by-side columns have been detected.

Method and apparatus for monitoring a region

A sensor arrangement for object recognition in a monitored zone is provided having a first and second distance-measuring optoelectronic sensor whose fields of vision overlap, and having a common control unit which is formed for determining a position of a calibration target in the overlap region with respect to the first and second sensor to determine a transformation instruction between coordinate systems of the sensors in a registration mode so that measured points of the sensors can be combined in a common global coordinate system. The common control unit is designed to determine positions of the calibration target with respect to the first and second sensor and to determine that transformation instruction which brings a connection line between the positions with respect to the first sensor's coordinate system to cover the connection line between the positions with respect to second sensor's coordinate system.

Sensor arrangement for object recognition

An apparatus for the recognition an object in space in accordance with the pulsed time-of-flight principle. The apparatus has a pulsed laser and a photoreceiver arrangement which receives the light pulses reflected back from the object present in the space. The apparatus has a first light deflection apparatus which outputs a first angular position signal representative of its instantaneous angular position to the evaluation circuit, wherein the first light deflection apparatus is arranged rotatably or pivotably about a first axis of rotation and is made for the transmission of light pulses following one another at changing angles in a first plane, wherein a second light deflection apparatus is arranged between the first light deflection apparatus. The apparatus outputs a second angular position signal representative of its instantaneous angular position to the evaluation circuit which has a deflection plate which is arranged rotatably or pivotably about a second axis of rotation.

Apparatus for the recognition of the presence of an object in space

A method for detecting an object inside a monitored zone includes monitoring at least a part of a monitored zone. Sensors generate respective single digital images of the total monitored zone, with the single images of all sensors being generated in a uniform coordinate system. Coordinate points of the single images are flagged as 'safe' by each sensor if they are free of the object, with all other coordinate points being flagged as 'unsafe'. The single images are each transmitted to an evaluation unit and are superimposed to form a resulting total image. The coordinate points of the total image, which are flagged as &#x201c;safe&#x201d;, correspond to those flagged as safe in at least one of the single images. All other coordinate points of the total image are flagged as unsafe. The coordinate points flagged as unsafe in the total image are used for the determination of the object coordinates.

Method and apparatus for detecting an object through the use of multiple sensors

An apparatus for the control of at least one safety-relevant function of a machine is described having a machine control for the control of the movements of the machine, having at least one sensor for the sensing of an object inside a monitored zone and having an evaluation unit for the setting of a danger zone and for the triggering of the safety-relevant function on the intrusion of the sensed object into the danger zone. To set the danger zone, the evaluation unit is coupled to the machine control and the evaluation unit is designed for the derivation of the parameters required for the setting of the danger zone starting from the control signals used by the machine control for the movement control of the machine. A corresponding method is furthermore described.

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Rheinhausen, Germany

Bernd Rothenberger