Method for the optical monitoring of a monitored zone and light sensor

A method for the optical monitoring of a monitored zone (10), wherein

• light is transmitted by a transmission device (30) along a transmission light system axis (32) into the monitored zone (10);
• light (36) reflected back/remitted back from the monitored zone (10) is detected by a first light receiver (44) via a first reception light path, with the first light receiver (44) including at least two spatial detection zones (46, 48) which are arranged so that a first detection zone (46) receives light (36) reflected back/remitted back when a diffusely reflective object (20) is located in a scanned zone (12) of the monitored zone (10) and a second detection zone (48) receives light reflected back/remitted back when a diffusely reflective object is located in a background zone (14) of the monitored zone (10);
• and
• light (38) reflected back/remitted back from the monitored zone (10) is detected by a second light receiver (50) via a second reception light path, with the second light receiver (50) including at least two spatial detection zones (52, 54) which are arranged so that a first detection zone (52) receives light (38) reflected back/remitted back when a diffusely reflective object (20) is located in s scanned zone (12) of the monitored zone (10) and a second detection zone (54) receives light reflected back/remitted back when a diffusely reflected object is located in a background zone (14) of the monitored zone (10);
• wherein the reception light paths are located on different sides of the transmission light system axis (32),
• wherein
• a first output signal (60) of the first light receiver (44) is produced in dependence on whether the center of the light (36) reflected back/remitted back in the direction of the first light receiver (44) is located in the first detection zone (46) or in the second detection zone (48) of the light receiver (44), with the first output signal (60) only being able to adopt one of two possible states;
• a second output signal (62) of the second light receiver (50) is produced in dependence on whether the center of the light (38) reflected back/remitted back in the direction of the second light receiver (50) is located in the first detection zone (52) or in the second detection zone (54) of the light receiver (50), with the second output signal (62) only being able to adopt one of two possible states;
• and
• the first and the second output signals (60, 62) are logically linked with one another to produce an object determination signal (66).