Polygon scanner and method of detecting objects in a monitored zone

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11353560-B2
Application number	US-201816196567-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2018
Priority date	Nov 21, 2017
Publication date	Jun 7, 2022
Grant date	Jun 7, 2022

Abstract

A polygon scanner (10) for detecting objects (24) in a monitored zone (22) is provided having a light transmitter (12); having a light receiver (30); having an evaluation unit (32); and having a rotatable mirror unit (20) for a periodic deflection of the light beam (16) that has a plurality of mirror facets (34) in order thus to scan an angular section multiple times per rotation of the mirror unit (20) by a respective mirror facet (34), wherein at least some of the mirror facets (34) have a different curvature from one another. In this respect, at least one of the mirror facets (34) is configured as a free-form surface whose curvature is adapted to the angle of incidence of the transmitted light beam (16) on the mirror facet (34) that varies during the rotation of the mirror unit (20).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A polygon scanner for detecting objects in a monitored zone, the polygon scanner comprising:
a light transmitter for transmitting a light beam into the monitored zone to generate a light spot on a scanned object;
a light receiver for receiving the light beam reflected by objects in the monitored zone;
an evaluation unit for evaluating a received signal of the light receiver; and
a rotatable mirror unit for a periodic deflection of the light beam that has a plurality of mirror facets in order thus to scan an angular section as a monitored zone multiple times per rotation of the mirror unit by a respective mirror facet,
wherein at least some of the mirror facets have a different curvature from one another, with said different curvatures not symmetrical to a center in a direction of movement of rotation of the mirror unit,
wherein at least one of the mirror facets is configured as a free-form surface whose curvature is adapted to the angle of incidence of the transmitted light beam on the mirror facet that varies during the rotation of the mirror unit, and is curved so that a same focal position is set for the varying angles of incidence,
and wherein the different curvatures establish a free fore in the peripheral direction oriented in accordance with the rotation so that the varying angles of incidence change the focal position in a targeted manner corresponding to the free-form surface.

2. The polygon scanner in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein the free-form surface has a tilt from a scanning plane of the light beam.

3. The polygon scanner in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein the free-form surface is curved such that the scanned region of the transmitted light beam is rectified.

4. The polygon scanner in accordance with claim 1 ,
that has an angle determination unit for a monitoring of the rotational position of the mirror unit, and the evaluation unit being configured to identify the respective active mirror facet with the aid of the rotational position.

5. The polygon scanner in accordance with claim 1 ,
that has a starting sensor that detects the transmitted light beam in each case at the start of a scan by a respective mirror facet, and wherein at least one mirror facet has a modification that enables an identification of the mirror facet from the start signal that the transmitted light beam generates in the starting sensor.

6. The polygon scanner in accordance with claim 5 ,
wherein the mirror facets have a different size as the modification.

7. The polygon scanner in accordance with claim 6 ,
wherein the mirror facets have a different size as the modification due to tolerance deviations.

8. The polygon scanner in accordance with claim 6 ,
wherein the evaluation unit is configured to teach a time sequence of the start signals as a reference and to identify the respective active mirror facet in operation by comparison of the sequence of the start signals with the reference.

9. The polygon scanner in accordance with claim 5 ,
wherein the mirror facet has a reflectivity and/or curvature differing from the remaining mirror facet as a modification in a starting region that generates the start signal.

10. The polygon scanner in accordance with claim 9 ,
wherein a pattern of regions of different reflectivity is provided in the starting region.

11. The polygon scanner in accordance with claim 4 ,
wherein a speed signal of a drive for rotating the mirror unit is supplied to the angle determination unit.

12. The polygon scanner in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein the evaluation unit is configured to determine a distance of a scanned object from the received signal using a time of flight method.

13. The polygon scanner in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein the evaluation unit is configured to compare the received signals of different mirror facets with one another and to evaluate the received signal having the greatest focus.

14. The polygon scanner in accordance with claim 1 ,
that is configured as a barcode scanner and whose evaluation unit has a barcode scanner.

15. A method of detecting objects in a monitored zone,
wherein a light beam is transmitted and is received again and evaluated after reflection at an object in the monitored zone to generate a light spot on a scanned object,
wherein an angular range of the monitored zone is periodically scanned in that the light beam is detected at mirror facets of a rotatable mirror unit having a plurality of mirror facets, with the light beam being differently focused in different periods of the scanning by different curvatures of at least some of the mirror facets, with said different curvatures not symmetrical to a center in a direction of movement of the mirror unit,
wherein the light beam is focused within a scanning period by curved mirror facets configured as free form in a manner adapted to the angle of incidence of the transmitted light beam on the mirror facet that varies during the rotation of the mirror unit, so that a same focus position is set for the varying angles of incidence,
and wherein the different curvatures establish a free form in the peripheral direction oriented in accordance with the rotation so that the varying angles of incidence change the focal position in a targeted manner corresponding to the free-form surface.

16. A polygon scanner for detecting objects in a monitored zone, the polygon scanner comprising:
a light transmitter for transmitting a light beam into the monitored zone to generate a light spot on a scanned object;
a light receiver for receiving the light beam reflected by objects in the monitored zone;
an evaluation unit for evaluating a received signal of the light receiver; and
a rotatable mirror unit for a periodic deflection of the light beam that has a plurality of mirror facets in order thus to scan an angular section as a monitored zone multiple times per rotation of the mirror unit by a respective mirror facet,
wherein at least some of the mirror facets have a different curvature from one another, with said different curvatures not symmetrical to a center in a direction of movement of rotation of the mirror unit,
wherein at least one of the mirror facets is configured as a free-form surface whose curvature is adapted to the angle of incidence of the transmitted light beam on the mirror facet that varies during the rotation of the mirror unit, and is curved so that a same focal position is set for the varying angles of incidence,
and wherein the different curvatures establish a free form in the peripheral direction oriented in accordance with the rotation so that the free form has a steeper rising flank and a shallower falling flank.

Assignees

• Sick Ag

Inventors

• Steinkogler Sascha
• Schneider Florian
• Weber Helmut
• Seitz Stefan
• Högy Martin

Classifications

• G06K7/10831

  Arrangement of optical elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors, prisms (optical elements per se G02B) · CPC title

• G01S7/4812

  transmitted and received beams following a coaxial path · CPC title

• G01S17/42

  Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S17/46) · CPC title

• G02B7/1821

  for rotating or oscillating mirrors · CPC title

• G01S7/4817 Primary

  relating to scanning · CPC title