Opto-electronic distance sensor and method for the opto-electronic distance measurement

Abstract

The opto-electronic sensor (1) for the measurement of the distance (d) to an object (9), resp., for the identification of an object (9) within a monitoring zone (90) is based on triangulation measurement. A light source (21) emits light onto the object (9) or into the monitoring zone (90). The light (35) scattered by the object (9) impinges on a receiving element (31) at an angle (α), which is dependent on distance (d) to the object (9). The latter has tappings (34.1-34.5) distributed over its length, in order to by means of a corresponding selection of these bring the measuring range of the sensor (1) to the value required by a control circuit (4) and as a result of this to increase the measuring resolution correspondingly. In variable amplifiers (6.1, 6.2), two or more detector signals (I1′, I2′) are multiplied with a variable factor respectively determined by the control circuit (4) and subsequently added, resp., subtracted in an adding- or subtracting stage (7). In an evaluation unit (8), the common signal for the generation of an object identification signal is processed further. The sensor (1) manifests a low measuring inaccuracy caused by noise and enables a continuous adjustability of the measuring distance (d).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.