US 11,698,435 B2 · Detector for optically detecting at least one object

Abstract

A detector (110, 1110, 2110) for determining a position of at least one object (112) is proposed. The detector (110, 1110, 2110) comprises: at least one transfer device (128, 1128), wherein the transfer device (128, 1128) has at least one focal length in response to at least one incident light beam (116, 1116) propagating from the object (112, 1112) to the detector (110, 1110, 2110); at least two optical sensors (113, 1118, 1120), wherein each optical sensor (113, 1118, 1120) has at least one light sensitive area (121, 1122, 1124), wherein each optical sensor (113, 1118, 1120) is designed to generate at least one sensor signal in response to an illumination of its respective light-sensitive area by the light beam (116, 1116), at least one evaluation device (132, 1132) being configured for determining at least one longitudinal coordinate z of the object (112, 1112) by evaluating a quotient signal Q from the sensor signals. The detector is adapted to determine the longitudinal coordinate z of the object in at least one measurement range independent from the object size in an object plane.

Claims44

Dependent claims

A detector for determining a position of at least one object, the detector having

at least one sensor element having a matrix of optical sensors, the optical sensors each having a light-sensitive area, wherein each optical sensor is configured to generate at least one sensor signal in response to an illumination of the light-sensitive area by at least one light beam propagating from the object to the detector;
and
at least one evaluation device configured for evaluating the sensor signals, by
a) determining at least one optical sensor having the highest sensor signal and forming at least one center signal;
b) evaluating the sensor signals of the optical sensors of the matrix and forming at least one sum signal;
c) determining at least one combined signal by combining the center signal and the sum signal;
and
d) determining at least one longitudinal coordinate z of the object by evaluating the combined signal;
wherein the detector is configured to be used for an application selected from the group consisting of mobile phone applications, facial recognition application, automotive applications, tablet applications, laptop applications, cleaning robot applications, smart panel applications, medical applications, endoscope applications, crop applications, quality inspection applications, and combinations thereof.

6 more elements

A method of using a detector, the method comprising the following steps:

illuminating at least one sensor element of the detector with at least one light beam propagating from the object to the detector, the detector having a matrix of optical sensors, the optical sensors each having a light-sensitive area, wherein each optical sensor generates at least one sensor signal in response to the illumination;
evaluating the sensor signals, by
a) determining at least one optical sensor having the highest sensor signal and forming at least one center signal;
b) evaluating the sensor signals of the optical sensors of the matrix and forming at least one sum signal;
c) determining at least one combined signal by combining the center signal and the sum signal;
and
d) determining at least one longitudinal coordinate z of the object by evaluating the combined signal;
and
using the detector for an application selected from the group consisting of mobile phone applications, facial recognition application, automotive applications, tablet applications, laptop applications, cleaning robot applications, smart panel applications, medical applications, endoscope applications, crop applications, quality inspection applications, and combinations thereof.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Detector for optically detecting at least one object

Life of this patent

Detector for optically detecting at least one object

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims44