Optical system for detecting obstruction
AssigneeInfineon Technologies AG
InventorRobert Alden Lewis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An obstruction detection system utilizes a segmented optical detector and detector-specific signal processing to optically detect the presence of a small object within a defined plane and to screen out interfering signals. In one application, the obstruction detection system is utilized with an automatically closing window to prevent small objects, such as fingers, from being pinched by the window as the window is being closed. In one embodiment of the obstruction detection system, the segmented optical detector includes a series of segmented detector elements that are generally perpendicular to the defined plane. In another embodiment of the obstruction detection system, the segmented optical detector includes segmented detector elements that are generally parallel to the defined plane.
Claims20
A power window system comprising:
- a window frame;
- a window body movably disposed within said window frame, said window body and said window frame generally defining a window plane;
- a window motor connected to move said window body within said window frame;
- an optical emitter, oriented with respect to said window frame and said window body to emit optical energy within said window plane;
- an optical detector having segmented detector elements that are oriented with respect to said optical emitter to detect reflected portions of said optical energy from said optical emitter, said optical detector having a plurality of outputs associated with said segmented detector elements for outputting electrical signals in response to detection of said reflected portions of said optical energy;
- and
- means for processing said electrical signals from said plurality of outputs to determine the presence of an obstructing object within said window plane.
A detection system for detecting the presence of an object within a defined plane comprising:
- means for emitting optical energy within said defined plane;
- an optical detector having segmented detector elements, said optical detector being oriented generally parallel to said defined plane and said segmented detector elements being oriented generally perpendicular to said defined plane, said optical detector being oriented with respect to said emitting means such that portions of said emitted optical energy can be detected by said segmented detector elements upon a single reflection of said emitted optical energy;
- and
- means for processing signals from said segmented detector elements such that gradually varying optical energy incident on said detector elements is distinguished from sharply varying optical energy incident on said detector elements.
A power window system comprising:
- a window frame;
- a window body movably disposed within said window frame, said window body and said window frame generally defining a window plane;
- means for distributing optical energy throughout an upper portion of said window frame and within said window plane;
- an optical detector having a plurality of segmented detector elements that are oriented with respect to said distributing means to detect reflected portions of said optical energy from said distributing means, said plurality of segmented detector elements having outputs for outputting electrical signals in response to detection of said reflected portions of said optical energy;
- and
- means, connected to said outputs, for distinguishing interfering optical energy that is incident upon said plurality of segmented detector elements from optical energy that is reflected from an object that is located within said window plane and obstructing closure of said window body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.