Loading patent…
AssigneeOptosys SA
InventorsPeter HEIMLICHER, Charles RHÊME, Pierre-Yves DÉNERVAUD, Roland BOCHUD
Estimating the term…
An optical sensor system comprises one or more optical sensor devices, a master device and an electrical bus connecting the sensor devices to the master device. The bus comprises a signal daisy chain for the transmission of synchronization events. The sensor devices are adapted to detect a synchronization event at a signal input terminal, to time an optical activity based on this synchronization event and to provide at a signal output terminal a synchronization event delayed by an offset time with respect to the detected synchronization event. A property of the synchronization events provided by the sensor devices is indicative of an output value of the respective sensor device, corresponding to a state of an optical section to which the sensor is sensitive. Diodes are connected between the signal output terminals of the sensor devices and a signal line of the bus, which is connected to a signal input terminal of the master device, so that the latter receives the synchronization events from the sensor devices. The master device comprises means for extracting the output values of the sensor devices from these synchronization events. A sensor device for such a system comprises an enclosure of cuboid outer shape adapted to be mounted to a mounting rail so that the longitudinal direction of the rail is perpendicular to lateral sides of the enclosure. An electrical connector with the signal input and output terminals and with power supply terminals is arranged at a side connecting the lateral sides of the enclosure. Bus segments are provided for connecting the sensor devices to the system bus.
Optical sensor system comprising one or more optical sensor devices, a master device and an electrical bus connecting the sensor devices to the master device, wherein a signal output terminal of the master device and signal input and output terminals of the sensor devices are connected in pairs according to a daisy chain pattern, forming a signal daisy chain of the bus, each sensor device further comprises an electrooptical transmitter for sending light into a first optical fiber, an electrooptical receiver for detecting light received through a second optical fiber and means for determining an output value indicative of a state of an optical section between the transmitter and the receiver, the master device is adapted to produce a synchronization event at its signal output terminal and each sensor device is adapted to detect a synchronization event occurring at its signal input terminal, to time an activity of the transmitter based on this synchronization event and to provide at its signal output terminal a synchronization event delayed by a predetermined offset time with respect to the detected synchronization event,
Optical sensor device for a sensor system, comprising an enclosure of generally cuboid outer shape, with two opposite lateral sides and with further sides connecting the lateral sides, adapted to be attached to a mounting rail at one of the skirt sides, so that the lateral sides are perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rail, and a sensor circuit comprising an electrooptical transmitter for sending light into a first optical fiber, an electrooptical receiver for detecting light received through a second optical fiber and means for determining an output value indicative of a state of an optical section between the transmitter and the receiver, as well as connection terminals including a signal input terminal, a signal output terminal and one or more power supply terminals for supplying a power supply voltage to the circuit, wherein the sensor circuit is adapted to detect a synchronization event occurring at its signal input terminal, to time an optical activity of the transmitter based on this synchronization event and to provide at the signal output terminal a synchronization event delayed by a predetermined offset time with respect to the detected synchronization event,
Bus segment for connecting a sensor device to an electrical bus of a sensor system, comprising input side connection terminals and output side connection terminals, each of which is individually associated with one of the connection terminals of the respective other side, and which are arranged with respect to each other so that the output side connection terminals are matable with input side connection terminals of an identical, further bus segment corresponding to their associated connection terminals, and further comprising sensor side connection terminals for connecting the sensor device to the bus segment, wherein segments of lines of the bus consist of interconnected pairs of mutually associated input and output side connection terminals and comprise one or more line segments connected to sensor side connection terminals for mating with power supply terminals of the sensor device,
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.