Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Pepperl+fuchs Se

Pepperl + Fuchs Gmbh

Ernst Luber

Claudia Sertl

Philipp Seitz

Axel Fornefeld

Josef Pürzer

Norbert Pohl

Agricultural detection device, having a sensor unit, an evaluation unit and a control unit. The sensor unit includes a first sensor with a first directivity and is configured to emit a first transmission signal and to receive a first reflection signal. The first sensor has a second directivity and emits a second sensor signal with the second directivity and receives a second reflection signal, or the sensor unit has a second sensor with a second directivity arranged adjacent to the first sensor for emitting the second transmission signal and for receiving the second reflection signal. The evaluation unit is configured to ascertain at least the structure of plants and a height value from the first reflection signal and the second reflection signal.

Agricultural detection device and a detection method for sensing agricultural objects

In the method according to the invention, several adjacent synchronized ultrasonic sensors automatically generate a clock signal with measurement clocks (M,, M,, M,). The transmission pulses (S,, S,, S,) of three ultrasonic sensors are generated with changing transmission pulse offset (d,, d,, d,) with respect to the respective measurement clocks (M,, M,, M,). Thereby, extrinsic echo signals of adjacent ultrasonic sensors can be masked out since only these echo signals change their position relative to the transmission pulses (S,, S,, S,). In contrast, the actual sought echo signal does not change its respective position relative to the transmission pulse (S,, S,, S,).

Method for the operation of several adjacent ultrasonic sensors

The operating parameters of a proximity switch can differ depending on the type of switch and also because of manufacturing tolerances. To make it possible for one to react to new developments in ultrasonic transducers and to customer-specific solutions without requiring additional space, data such as operating parameters are able to be input into a microprocessor of a prefabricated proximity switch with little expenditure of time and energy. A proximity switch may contain an enabling input and an overcurrent-detection device including a microprocessor. An overcurrent across the switching output can be identified by a pulse provided to a first input of the microprocessor. A programming device is provided through which such an overcurrent condition is simulated and the corresponding pulse is generated which represents information about an operating parameter in the form of a bit pattern. The microprocessor is loaded with this bit pattern. The enabling input is used to synchronize the microprocessor using first synchronizing pulses.

System and method for reading operating parameters into an operationally

When operating adjacent ultrasonic proximity switches, faulty output states can occur due to mutual interference (e.g., the incorrect allocation of echo signals). To solve this problem, it is known to adhere to standard mounting specifications as well as to apply parallel or serial synchronization. Ultrasonic proximity switches with an enabling output and a microprocessor are improved by inserting a circuit arrangement between these two elements, which, based on synchronizing pulses, produces a change in potential from high to low at the enabling output. By connecting the enabling outputs of several proximity switches constructed in this manner and operated adjacent to one another through a shared line, an improved operation with parallel and serial synchronization is possible without external control (i.e., automatically). The low potential state produced by an ultrasonic proximity switch at its enabling output is supplied via the line to the remaining connected ultrasonic proximity switches. While the line is at low potential, at least one proximity switch is not yet ready to transmit, that is only the change to high potential enables the parallel synchronization or, alternatively, introduces serial synchronization.

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Neukirchen, Germany

Ernst Luber