Detector for optically detecting at least one object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10845459-B2
Application number	US-201715727733-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 9, 2017
Priority date	Jun 13, 2013
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

A detector ( 110 ) for determining a position of at least one object ( 118 ) is disclosed. The detector ( 110 ) comprises:
at least one optical sensor ( 112 ), the optical sensor ( 112 ) being adapted to detect a light beam ( 150 ) traveling from the object ( 118 ) towards the detector ( 110 ), the optical sensor ( 112 ) having at least one matrix ( 152 ) of pixels ( 154 ); and at least one evaluation device ( 126 ), the evaluation device ( 126 ) being adapted to determine a number N of pixels ( 154 ) of the optical sensor ( 112 ) which are illuminated by the light beam ( 150 ), the evaluation device ( 126 ) further being adapted to determine at least one longitudinal coordinate of the object ( 118 ) by using the number N of pixels ( 154 ) which are illuminated by the light beam ( 150 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a sensor having at least one matrix of pixels; and
a processor configured to
receive a signal from the sensor;
determine, from the signal, a number N of the pixels of the sensor that are illuminated by light from an object; and
detect a location of the object based on the number N of the pixels,

wherein the processor is configured to determine a longitudinal coordinate of the object according to the number N of the pixels,
wherein the processor is configured to determine the longitudinal coordinate of the object according to a predetermined relationship between the number N of pixels illuminated by the light and the longitudinal coordinate, and
wherein
the predetermined relationship is

N
~
π

·

w
0
2

·

(

1
+

(

z

z
0

)

2

)

,

z is the longitudinal coordinate,
w 0 is a minimum radius of the light when propagating in space, and
z 0 is a Rayleigh-length of the light with z 0 =π·w 0 2 /λ, λ being the wavelength of the light.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to process the signal output by the sensor to detect motion of the object.

3. The device according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to process the signal output by the sensor to track the object.

4. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a light source that outputs a light beam, wherein
the light that illuminates the sensor is light from the light beam reflected by the object.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the object emits the light that illuminates the sensor.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein
the signal indicates an intensity of illumination of each of the pixels, and
the processor is configured to compare, for each pixel, the intensity of the pixels to a corresponding threshold in order to determine whether the pixel is in an illuminated state.

7. The device according to claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to choose the threshold by multiplying a value of a pixel, of the at least one matrix of pixels, having a highest intensity of illumination by a factor of 1/e 2 .

8. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising n sensors, wherein
the n sensors include the sensor, and
the processor is configured to determine a number N i of pixels which are illuminated by light reflected by the object, the object reflecting light emitted by the light source for each of the sensors, wherein i∈{1, n} denotes the respective sensor.

9. The device according to claim 8 , wherein
at least two sensors of the n sensors have a different spectral sensitivity, and
the processor is configured to determine a color of the light by comparing sensor signals of the sensors having the differing spectral sensitivity.

10. An evaluation device, comprising:
a processor configured to
receive a signal from a sensor having at least one matrix of pixels;
determine, from the signal, a number N of the pixels of the sensor that are illuminated by light from an object; and
detect a location of the object based on the number N of the pixels,

wherein
the processor is configured to determine a longitudinal coordinate of the object according to a predetermined relationship between the number N of pixels illuminated by the light and the longitudinal coordinate,
the predetermined relationship is

N
~
π

·

w
0
2

·

(

1
+

(

z

z
0

)

2

)

,

z is the longitudinal coordinate,
w 0 is a minimum radius of the light when propagating in space, and
z 0 is a Rayleigh-length of the light with z 0 =π·w 0 2 /λ, λ being the wavelength of the light.

11. A method, comprising:
receiving a signal from a sensor having at least one matrix of pixels;
determining, from the signal, a number N of the pixels of the sensor that are illuminated by light from an object; and
detecting a location of the object based on the number N of the pixels with a processor, wherein the processor is configured to determine a longitudinal coordinate of the object according to the number N of the pixels,
wherein the processor is configured to determine the longitudinal coordinate of the object according to a predetermined relationship between the number N of pixels illuminated by the light and the longitudinal coordinate, and
wherein
the predetermined relationship is

N
~
π

·

w
0
2

·

(

1
+

(

z

z
0

)

2

)

,

z is the longitudinal coordinate,
w 0 is a minimum radius of the light when propagating in space, and
z 0 is a Rayleigh-length of the light with z 0 =π·w 0 2 /λ, λ being the wavelength of the light.

Assignees

• Basf Se

Inventors

• Bruder Ingmar
• Thiel Erwin
• Irle Stephan
• Send Robert

Classifications

• H04N25/50

  Control of the SSIS exposure · CPC title

• G01C3/32 Primary

  by focusing the object, e.g. on a ground glass screen · CPC title

• G01S7/4816

  of receivers alone · CPC title

• G01S5/16 Primary

  using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves · CPC title

• A63F13/25

  Output arrangements for video game devices · CPC title