Method and apparatus for detecting an object

A method for detecting an object (12) inside a monitored zone (21), in which at least two sensors (2, 3) respectively monitor at least a part of the monitored zone (21), comprising:

• generating respective single digital images (24, 25) of the total monitored zone (21) using each sensor (2, 3) with the single images (24, 25) of all sensors (2, 3) being generated in a uniform coordinate system;
• flagging as “safe” coordinate points (28, 36) of the single images (24, 25) generated by each sensor (2, 3), which the sensor recognizes as free of the object (12);
• flagging as “unsafe” all other coordinate points (32, 33, 34, 40, 41, 42) of the single images (24, 25);
• transmitting the single images (24, 25) generated in this manner to an evaluation unit (6);
• superimposing the transmitted single images (24, 25) using the evaluation unit (6) to form a resulting total image (43) in accordance with their common coordinate system, wherein coordinate points (28, 36) of the total image (43) are flagged as “safe”, which correspond to coordinate points flagged as “safe” in at least one of the single images (24, 25), and wherein any remaining coordinate points of the total image (43) are flagged as “unsafe”;
• and
• determining coordinates of the object (12) using the coordinate points flagged as “unsafe” in the total image (43).