Optical sensor operating on the transit time principle

Abstract

The present invention relates to an optical sensor based on the transit time principle, comprising a light source for the emission of emergent light pulses into an observed region, comprising a rotating device for rotating a beam direction of the emergent light pulses about a rotation axis orientated transverse to the beam direction, and comprising a detector for the detection of light pulses reflected by objects in the observed region, comprising a housing for keeping the sensor interior separate from the environment and including a partitioning screen that is transparent to the emergent light pulses and to the reflected light pulses, comprising a test device for testing the translucence of the partitioning screen, and comprising a control and evaluation unit for controlling the light source, for evaluating the light pulses detected by the detector, and for determining the distance away of an object on the basis of the measured transit time of the light pulses, which control and evaluation unit cooperates with the test device. The optical sensor is characterized in that at least one test detector is provided in the sensor interior to form part of the test device, which test detector is placed on a rotor adapted to rotate about the rotation axis, that the test detector is oriented toward those throughput regions of the partitioning screen through which the emergent light pulses and/or the reflected light pulses pass, that a test light source for supplying the test light is provided as a further part of the test device, which test light source is likewise arranged on the rotor, that outside the housing there is provided at least one reflector element to which the test light is directed, and that the test detector is positioned such that it can detect the test light reflected by the reflector element.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.