Method for identifying size of object, optical sensing apparatus and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12019809-B2
Application number	US-202318132587-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2023
Priority date	May 28, 2021
Publication date	Jun 25, 2024
Grant date	Jun 25, 2024

Abstract

A method for identifying an object, an optical sensing apparatus and a system are provided. A controller of the system drives multiple light sources of the optical sensing apparatus to emit the multiple light beams with different beam angles, controls a light sensor to sense the lights reflected by the object, and performs the method for identifying the object. In the method, the light sensor is used to sense a first light emitted by a first light source with a first beam angle reflected by the object, and sense an intensity of the reflected first light. The light sensor is also used to sense a second light emitted by a second light source with a second beam angle reflected by the object and sense another intensity of the reflected second light. Therefore, the object can be identified by integrating information of the intensities obtained by the light sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for identifying an object, comprising:
using a first light source to emit a first light beam with a first beam angle;
using a light sensor to sense a first intensity of the first light beam reflected by the object;
using a second light source to emit a second light beam with a second beam angle;
using the light sensor to sense a second intensity of the second light beam reflected by the object; and
identifying the object by integrating information of the first intensity and the second intensity,
wherein the first beam angle of the first light beam is configured to be smaller than the second beam angle of the second light beam, and the object is identified when the object enters both the first beam angle and the second beam angle.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first beam angle of the first light beam is different from the second beam angle of the second light beam, and a size of the object is identified by comparing the first intensity and the second intensity.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first beam angle of the first light beam is different from the second beam angle of the second light beam; and
a movement of the object is identified by comparing a profile of the first intensity and another profile of the second intensity within a time period.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, when the first intensity is greater than the second intensity, it is determined that the object is a small size.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, a first set of intensities are sensed for a period of time and a second set of intensities are sensed for the same period of time, and the first set and the second set of intensities over time are resolved to determine a movement of the object.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein, when a first trend of changes of the first set of intensities is close to a second trend of changes of the second set of intensities for the period of time, it is determined that the object is close to or away from the light sensor.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the first trend or the second trend is described by a distribution curve that is formed by sensing the intensities according to the sensed reflected lights over time.

8. An optical sensing apparatus, comprising:
multiple light sources used to emit multiple light beams with different beam angles;
a light sensor used to sense the lights reflected by an object when the multiple light beams illuminate the object; and
a controller, electrically connected to the multiple light sources and the light sensor, wherein the controller drives the multiple light sources to emit the multiple light beams, controls the light sensor to sense the lights reflected by the object, and performs a method for identifying the object comprising:
using a first light source to emit a first light beam with a first beam angle;
using the light sensor to sense a first intensity of the first light beam reflected by the object;
using a second light source to emit a second light beam with a second beam angle;
using the light sensor to sense a second intensity of the second light beam reflected by the object; and
identifying the object by integrating information of the first intensity and the second intensity,
wherein the first beam angle of the first light beam is configured to be smaller than the second beam angle of the second light beam, and the object is identified when the object enters both the first beam angle and the second beam angle.

9. The optical sensing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein intensities respectively sensed from the reflected first light beam and the reflected second light beam are compared in order to determine a movement of the object.

10. A system, comprising:
one or more optical sensing apparatuses, in which the optical sensing apparatus includes multiple light sources used to emit multiple light beams with different beam angles and a light sensor used to sense the lights reflected by an object when the multiple light beams illuminate the object;
a controller, electrically connected to the one or more optical sensing apparatuses, wherein the controller drives the multiple light sources to emit the multiple light beams, controls the light sensor to sense the lights reflected by the object, and performs a method for identifying the object comprising:
using a first light source to emit a first light beam with a first beam angle;
using the light sensor to sense a first intensity of the first light beam reflected by the object;
using a second light source to emit a second light beam with a second beam angle;
using the light sensor to sense a second intensity of the second light beam reflected by the object; and
identifying the object by integrating information of the first intensity and the second intensity,
wherein the first beam angle of the first light beam is configured to be smaller than the second beam angle of the second light beam, and the object is identified when the object enters both the first beam angle and the second beam angle.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein, when the first intensity sensed from the reflected first light beam is greater than the second intensity sensed from the reflected second light and a difference between the intensities exceeds a threshold, it is determined that the object is close to the light sensor.

12. The system according to claim 10 , wherein, a first set of intensities are sensed when sensing the first light beam for a period of time and a second set of intensities are sensed when sensing the second light for the same period of time, and the first set and the second set of intensities over time are resolved to determine a movement of the object.

13. The system according to claim 12 , wherein, when a first trend of changes of the first set of intensities is close to a second trend of changes of the second set of intensities for the period of time, it is determined that the object is close to or away from the light sensor.

Assignees

• Pixart Imaging Inc

Inventors

• Yang Tien-Chung
• Chen Chia-Kai
• Hsu En-Feng
• Liu Chen-Lung

Classifications

• G01S17/42

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

• G01S17/50

  Systems of measurement based on relative movement of target · CPC title

• G01S17/88

  Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications · CPC title

• G01S17/04

  Systems determining the presence of a target · CPC title

• B66B1/461

  characterised by their shape or profile · CPC title