Sick Ag

Novartis Ag

Ingolf Braune

Matthias Neubauer

Shane MacNamara

Armin Hornung

Roger Biel

Markus Hammes

Roland Bergbach

Stephan Schmitz

Peter Hagmann

Livio Fornasiero

Günter Lässig

Martin Wuestefeld

Peter Baumann

Bernd Rothenberger

Georg Plasberg

Thomas Neumann

Lars Müller

Olaf Henkel

Gerhard Dieterle

Stefan Schmitz

Heiko Kahle

Joerg Grabinger

Jörg Grabinger

Gunnar Baske

Joachim Linkemann

Shane Macnamara

Tijl Schwartzkopff

A distance measuring optoelectronic sensor for detecting a target object in a monitored zone is provided that has a light transmitter for transmitting light pulses, a deflection unit for a periodic scanning of the monitored zone by the light pulses, a light receiver for generating a received signal from the light pulses reflected or remitted by objects in the monitored zone, and a control and evaluation unit that is configured to determine the distance of an object from a time of flight of a light pulse and to transmit light pulses of different intensity, For the detection of a target object having a specific reflection capability, the control and evaluation unit is here furthermore configured to transmit light pulses adapted to the reflection capability and to a range and to vary the light pulses in accordance with different ranges for the distinction between the target object and another object.

Distance measuring optoelectronic sensor and method for detecting a target object

A safe optoelectronic sensor is provided for securing a monitored zone comprising at least one machine, wherein the sensor has at least one light receiver for generating a received signal from received light from the monitored zone and a control and evaluation unit that is configured to determine distances from objects in the monitored zone from the received signal, and to treat gaps, i.e. safety relevant part regions of the monitored zone in which no reliable distance can be determined, as an object at a predefined distance. The predefined distance here corresponds to a height for securing against reach over.

Securing a monitored zone comprising at least one machine

An optoelectronic sensor for detecting objects in a monitored zone is provided having at least one light receiver for generating measurement data from received light from the monitored zone and having a safe evaluation unit that has at least two processing channels for a redundant processing of the measurement data and having a comparison unit for comparing processing results of the processing channels to uncover errors in a processing channel-. The processing channels are here each configured for a determination of a signature with respect to their processing results; and the comparator unit is configured for a comparison of the signatures.

Optoelectronic sensor and method for a safe evaluation of measurement data

A method of configuring at least one hazard zone to be monitored by at least one three-dimensional (3D) sensor includes fixing outer surfaces, where the at least one hazard zone is a volume defined by the outer surfaces, and is a zone in which a machine to be secured is located. Additionally, a check is made during the configuration or after the configuration whether the outer surfaces are visible to the at least one 3D sensor.

Configuring a hazard zone monitored by a 3D sensor

A method of securing at least one hazard zone comprising a hazardous machine is provided, wherein objects are detected in an environment of the hazard zone from measured data of at least one 3D sensor, and wherein a safety directed reaction of the machine takes place on an impending danger. A switch is made to at least one new hazard zone to be activated during the operation of the machine and a check is made whether the new hazard zone to be secured is free of objects.

Method of securing a hazard zone

An optoelectronic sensor () for safe detection of objects () of a minimum size in a monitoring area (), the sensor () having an image sensor (-) for acquiring image data of the monitoring area () and an evaluation unit () configured to detect, in the image data, both finely detected objects () with a fine detection capability and coarsely detected objects () with a coarse detection capability, the coarse detection capability being coarser than the fine detection capability, and to ignore finely detected objects () which are not in a vicinity () of a coarsely detected object ().

Optoelectronic sensor and method for safe detection of objects of a minimum size

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

An optoelectronic sensor () for monitoring a working area () is provided, the working area () being located within a detection area () of the sensor () and in a first distance from the sensor (), wherein the sensor () comprises an illumination unit () with a light source () for at least partially illuminating the working area (), and an object detection unit () for detecting forbidden objects in the working area (), wherein an illumination control () of the illumination unit () is configured to, during a startup period, The illumination control () comprises a short range object detection unit () configured to test the provisional working area (-) in a different way than the object detection unit () tests the working area ().

Optoelectronic sensor

A distance-measuring optoelectronic sensor for the monitoring of a working zone is provided which is located within a detection zone of the sensor and at a first distance from the sensor, wherein the sensor has a lighting unit having a light source to illuminate the working zone at least partly as well as an object detection unit by means of which unauthorized objects in the working zone can be detected. In this respect, an illumination control is designed, in a switching-on phase,

Distance-measuring optoelectronic sensor

The invention relates to an apparatus, in particular to a bending apparatus, including at least one movable apparatus part; an operating device for the operation of the apparatus, with at least one first signal for the actuation of the apparatus and one second signal for the stopping of the apparatus being able to be triggered via the operating device; a protection device for the monitoring of a protected zone of the apparatus; and a device for the selective adaptation of the protected zone before the actuation of the apparatus, with the device for the adaptation of the protected zone being able to be acted on by means of a third signal of the operating device. Alternatively, the device for the selective adaptation of the protected zone can include a voice input device.

Apparatus comprising a protection device

An optoelectronic monitoring device () with at least one light source () and at least one receiving element () which receives light from light source () that was reflected by an object. The receiving element determines the distance of the object. A testing unit (-) of the monitoring device checks the functionality of the receiving element () and modifies light received by the receiving element so that the receiving element () receives light which has been falsified by a predetermined or a known amount. A corresponding testing method is also described.

Optoelectronic monitor including dynamic testing unit

A potentially dangerous machine is secured to protect against injuries and has first and second tool parts that define an opening gap between them. At least the first tool part is movable relative to the second tool part in a movement direction during an operating cycle for deforming a workpiece between them by reducing a size of the opening gap in the movement direction. The protected zone precedes the first tool part and extends over at least a portion of the opening gap in the direction of relative movement. The protected zone is monitored with an optoelectronic sensor, and a danger signal is generated in response to a breach of the protected zone. When the size of the opening gap in the movement direction becomes smaller than the protected zone, the size of the protected zone is correspondingly reduced until during subsequent closing movements of the first tool part substantially the entire opening gap is within the protected zone.

Safety method and safety device for a machine, especially a bending press

In a method for the monitoring of a monitored zone next to and/or in an apparatus having at least one driven movable part, video images are used which were detected in time sequence by at least two video cameras whose fields of view overlap at least partly in an overlap region in the monitored zone. On the basis of the first video images detected by a first one of the video cameras, a first recognition and/or tracking of virtual objects is carried out and, on the basis of the second video images detected by a second one of the video cameras, a second recognition and/or tracking of virtual objects is carried out, the virtual objects corresponding to real objects at least in the overlap region. For the classification and/or determination of the position and/or the movement of at least one real object in the overlap region, virtual objects corresponding to the real object from the first and second virtual object recognition and/or tracking processes are determined and data determined in each case for both virtual objects on their virtual object recognition and/or tracking are evaluated. At least one monitoring signal is formed in dependence on the evaluation.

Method for the monitoring of a monitored zone

A method and an optoelectronic sensor are provided for ensuring the safety of a machine tool having a first tool part carrying out working movements in the direction of a second tool part. The sensor monitors a three-dimensional protected field between the tool parts of the machine tool. At the start of a working movement of a first tool part of the machine tool, the extent of the protected field in the direction of the working movement is smaller than the extent of the open gap between the tool parts. On a continued working movement, the extent of the protected field is continuously reduced and the protected field is held in the center of the open gap. Thereafter, on a further continued working movement, the extent of the protected field is maintained and the protected field is held in the center of the open gap. The sensor is finally deactivated.

Safety method and optoelectronic sensor

The invention relates to a method for securing a machine tool comprising a first tool part that carries out work movements in the direction of a second tool part in order thereby to carry out a machining process on a workpiece, wherein an optoelectronic sensor monitors a three-dimensional protected field between the tool parts in that light is transmitted along an open gap formed between the tool parts by means of a transmitter device and is detected by means of a receiver device which includes a matrix of light-sensitive elements, wherein the first tool part is stopped if individual light-sensitive elements or specific groups of the light-sensitive elements do not receive any light. In the method in accordance with the invention, relative positions between individual workpiece areas or measured values related to individual workpiece areas are determined from the signals delivered by the light-sensitive elements. The invention furthermore relates to an optoelectronic sensor by means of which the named method can be carried out.

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Gundelfingen, Germany

Ingolf Braune