Sensor device for recognizing consecutive objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11453559-B2
Application number	US-202016877751-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2020
Priority date	May 20, 2019
Publication date	Sep 27, 2022
Grant date	Sep 27, 2022

Abstract

A method of recognizing consecutive objects on a conveying path in a detection zone arranged on the conveying path comprises the following steps:generating an electromagnetic radio frequency field radiating into the detection zone by way of a radio frequency sensor;measuring a time curve of a dielectric conductivity in the detection zone by using of the radio frequency field of the radio frequency sensor; anddetermining contour information of the consecutive objects from the time curve of the dielectric conductivity.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of recognizing consecutive objects on a conveying path in a detection zone arranged on the conveying path, wherein the method comprises the following steps:
generating an electromagnetic radio frequency field radiating into the detection zone by means of a radio frequency sensor;
measuring a time curve of a dielectric conductivity in the detection zone by means of the radio frequency field of the radio frequency sensor; and
determining contour information of the consecutive objects from the time curve of the dielectric conductivity.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 , comprising:
a determination of an object distance of two consecutive objects as contour information determined from the time curve of the dielectric conductivity.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1 , comprising:
a determination of an overlap of a plurality of consecutive objects as contour information determined from the time curve of the dielectric conductivity.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1 , comprising
a determination of support angles of the objects passing through the detection zone as contour information determined from the time curve of the dielectric conductivity.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the detection zone is completely arranged in a near field zone of the radio frequency field of the radio frequency sensor.

6. The method in accordance with claim 5 , wherein a distance of the detection zone from the radio frequency sensor amounts to less than one wavelength of the radio frequency field.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the radio frequency sensor is configured as a radio frequency resonator and the time curve of the dielectric conductivity is determined from a time change of a resonant frequency of the radio frequency resonator.

8. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the radio frequency sensor is configured as an antenna radiating into the detection zone and the time curve of the dielectric conductivity is determined from a time change of an electrical power reflected by the antenna.

9. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the dielectric conductivity is determined from a reflected portion of a radio frequency signal fed into the radio frequency sensor.

10. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the radio frequency sensor is a microwave sensor and the radio frequency field is a microwave field.

11. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the radio frequency sensor is arranged in a transport roller arranged at the conveying path.

12. The method in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the radio frequency sensor is formed on a support plate; and wherein the support plate is arranged on a rotary axle of the transport roller.

13. The method in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein the radio frequency sensor comprises a plurality of individual sensors; and
wherein the individual sensors are arranged next to one another along a transverse direction of the conveying path that is oriented perpendicular to a conveying direction of the conveying path.

14. The method in accordance with claim 13 , comprising:
a determination of widths, oriented along the transverse direction, of the contours of the consecutive objects from individual signals of the individual sensors.

15. The method in accordance with claim 13 , comprising:
exciting and reading out the individual sensors, with the individual sensors being excited and read out offset in time.

16. The method in accordance with claim 1 , comprising:
a determination of a conveying speed of the conveying path; and
a determination of lengths of the contours of the objects from the conveying speed and from the time curve of the dielectric conductivity.

17. The method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the conveying speed of the objects along the conveying path is determined by means of a rotary encoder for determining a rotational speed of a transport roller arranged at the conveying path.

18. The method in accordance with claim 1 , comprising:
a determination of a distance between the object and the conveying path by means of a distance sensor arranged below the conveying path.

19. A sensor device for recognizing consecutive objects on a conveying path,
wherein the sensor device comprises a radio frequency sensor arranged at the conveying path; and an evaluation device connected to the radio frequency sensor;
wherein the sensor device has a detection zone arranged on the conveying path;
wherein the radio frequency sensor is configured to generate an electromagnetic radio frequency field radiating into the detection zone;
wherein the evaluation device is configured to measure a time curve of a dielectric conductivity in the detection zone by means of the radio frequency field of the radio frequency sensor; and
wherein the evaluation device is configured to determine contour information of the consecutive objects from the time curve of the dielectric conductivity.

20. A conveying device having a conveying path and having a sensor device arranged at the conveying path for recognizing consecutive objects on the conveying path wherein the sensor device comprises a radio frequency sensor arranged at the conveying path; and an evaluation device connected to the radio frequency sensor;
wherein the sensor device has a detection zone arranged on the conveying path;
wherein the radio frequency sensor is configured to generate an electromagnetic radio frequency field radiating into the detection zone;
wherein the evaluation device is configured to measure a time curve of a dielectric conductivity in the detection zone by means of the radio frequency field of the radio frequency sensor; and
wherein the evaluation device is configured to determine contour information of the consecutive objects from the time curve of the dielectric conductivity.

Assignees

• Sick Ag
• Deutsche Post Ag

Inventors

• Prinz Oliver
• Imm Rainer
• Hartmann Bernd

Classifications

• G01V3/12

  operating with electromagnetic waves {(operating with millimetre waves G01V8/005)} · CPC title

• G01S13/865

  Combination of radar systems with lidar systems · CPC title

• B65G43/00

  Control devices, e.g. for safety, warning or fault-correcting · CPC title

• G01S13/867

  Combination of radar systems with cameras · CPC title

• G01S7/418

  Theoretical aspects · CPC title