# US 2023/0057540 A1 · Photoelectric sensor and threshold setting method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0057540 A1 - Document ID: US20230057540A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/800,217 - Filed: 2021-02-04 - Published: 2023-02-23 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-12 - Assignees: OMRON Corporation - Applicants: OMRON Corporation - Inventors: Kohei TANISUE; Yusuke IIDA; Norihiro TOMAGO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230057540A1 ## CPC - G01S 17/04: Systems determining the presence of a target - G01V 8/12: using one transmitter and one receiver - G01J 1/42: using electric radiation detectors (optical or mechanical part G01J1/04; by comparison with a reference light or electric value G01J1/10) - G01J 2001/444: {Compensating; Calibrating, e.g. dark current, temperature drift, noise reduction or baseline correction; Adjusting} - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02) - G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N) ## Abstract Provided are a photoelectric sensor and a threshold setting method. The photoelectric sensor is a photoelectric sensor detecting an object and includes a light reception part, an object determination part, and a setting part. The light reception part receives light to obtain a light reception amount. The object determination part determines presence/absence of the object based on the light reception amount and a threshold. The setting part sets the threshold based on the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is present and the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is absent. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A photoelectric sensor, which is a photoelectric sensor detecting an object, the photoelectric sensor comprising: a light reception part which receives light to obtain a light reception amount; an object determination part which determines presence/absence of the object based on the light reception amount and a threshold; and a setting part which sets the threshold based on the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is present and the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is absent. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The photoelectric sensor according to claim 1, wherein the setting part calculates a correction value based on one of a maximum and a minimum of the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is present, and another of a maximum and a minimum of the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is absent, and sets the correction value as the threshold. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The photoelectric sensor according to claim 1, wherein the setting part calculates a correction value based on an average of the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is present and an average of the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is absent, and sets the correction value as the threshold. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The photoelectric sensor according to claim 1, wherein the setting part calculates a correction value according to a value based on an average and a variance in a distribution of the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is present, and a value based on an average and a variance in a distribution of the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is absent, and sets the correction value as the threshold. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The photoelectric sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a setting determination part which determines whether setting of the threshold is possible based on the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is present and the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is absent, wherein when it is determined that setting of the threshold is possible, the setting part sets the threshold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The photoelectric sensor according to claim 5, wherein the setting determination part determines whether setting of the threshold is possible based on a difference between one of a maximum and a minimum of the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is present, and another of a maximum and a minimum of the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is absent. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The photoelectric sensor according to claim 5, wherein the setting determination part determines whether setting of the threshold is possible according to a difference between a value based on an average and a variance in a distribution of the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is present, and a value based on an average and a variance in a distribution of the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is absent. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The photoelectric sensor according to claim 5, further comprising an output part which outputs unsettability of the threshold when it is determined that setting of the threshold is not possible. ### Claim 9 A threshold setting method, which is a threshold setting method of a photoelectric sensor detecting an object, the threshold setting method comprising: a light reception step of receiving light to obtain a light reception amount; an object determination step of determining presence/absence of the object based on the light reception amount and a threshold; and a setting step of setting the threshold based on the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is present and the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is absent. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The photoelectric sensor according to claim 2, further comprising a setting determination part which determines whether setting of the threshold is possible based on the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is present and the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is absent, wherein when it is determined that setting of the threshold is possible, the setting part sets the threshold. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The photoelectric sensor according to claim 10, wherein the setting determination part determines whether setting of the threshold is possible based on a difference between one of a maximum and a minimum of the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is present, and another of a maximum and a minimum of the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is absent. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The photoelectric sensor according to claim 10, wherein the setting determination part determines whether setting of the threshold is possible according to a difference between a value based on an average and a variance in a distribution of the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is present, and a value based on an average and a variance in a distribution of the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is absent. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The photoelectric sensor according to claim 10, further comprising an output part which outputs unsettability of the threshold when it is determined that setting of the threshold is not possible. ### Claim 14 (depends on 3) The photoelectric sensor according to claim 3, further comprising a setting determination part which determines whether setting of the threshold is possible based on the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is present and the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is absent, wherein when it is determined that setting of the threshold is possible, the setting part sets the threshold. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The photoelectric sensor according to claim 14, wherein the setting determination part determines whether setting of the threshold is possible based on a difference between one of a maximum and a minimum of the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is present, and another of a maximum and a minimum of the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is absent. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The photoelectric sensor according to claim 14, wherein the setting determination part determines whether setting of the threshold is possible according to a difference between a value based on an average and a variance in a distribution of the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is present, and a value based on an average and a variance in a distribution of the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is absent. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The photoelectric sensor according to claim 14, further comprising an output part which outputs unsettability of the threshold when it is determined that setting of the threshold is not possible. ### Claim 18 (depends on 4) The photoelectric sensor according to claim 4, further comprising a setting determination part which determines whether setting of the threshold is possible based on the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is present and the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is absent, wherein when it is determined that setting of the threshold is possible, the setting part sets the threshold. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The photoelectric sensor according to claim 18, wherein the setting determination part determines whether setting of the threshold is possible based on a difference between one of a maximum and a minimum of the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is present, and another of a maximum and a minimum of the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is absent. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The photoelectric sensor according to claim 18, wherein the setting determination part determines whether setting of the threshold is possible according to a difference between a value based on an average and a variance in a distribution of the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is present, and a value based on an average and a variance in a distribution of the light reception amount during a period in which it has been determined that the object is absent.