Detector for determining a position of at least one object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9665182-B2
Application number	US-201414460529-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2014
Priority date	Aug 19, 2013
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

A detector ( 118 ) for determining a position of at least one object ( 112 ) is disclosed, the detector ( 118 ) comprising:
at least one longitudinal optical sensor ( 120 ), wherein the longitudinal optical sensor ( 120 ) has at least one sensor region ( 124 ), wherein the longitudinal optical sensor ( 120 ) is at least partially transparent, wherein the longitudinal optical sensor ( 120 ) is designed to generate at least one longitudinal sensor signal in a manner dependent on an illumination of the sensor region ( 124 ) by at least one light beam ( 126 ) traveling from the object ( 112 ) to the detector ( 118 ), wherein the longitudinal sensor signal, given the same total power of the illumination, is dependent on a beam cross-section of the light beam ( 126 ) in the sensor region ( 124 ); at least one illumination source ( 114 ) adapted to illuminate the object ( 112 ) with illumination light ( 115 ) through the longitudinal optical sensor ( 120 ); and at least one evaluation device ( 136 ), wherein the evaluation device ( 136 ) is designed to generate at least one item of information on a longitudinal position of the object ( 112 ) by evaluating the longitudinal sensor signal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A detector for determining a position of at least one object, the detector comprising:
at least one longitudinal optical sensor,
wherein the longitudinal optical sensor comprises at least one sensor region,
wherein the longitudinal optical sensor is at least partially transparent,
wherein the longitudinal optical sensor generates at least one longitudinal sensor signal in a manner dependent on an illumination of the sensor region by at least one light beam traveling from the object to the detector,
wherein the longitudinal sensor signal, given the same total power of the illumination, is dependent on a beam cross-section of the light beam in the sensor region;
at least one illumination source for illuminating the object with illumination light through the longitudinal optical sensor; and
at least one evaluation device, wherein the evaluation device generates at least one item of information on a longitudinal position of the object by evaluating the longitudinal sensor signal.

2. The detector according to claim 1 ,
comprising:
at least one reflective element, wherein the reflective element reflects the illumination light before illuminating the object.

3. The detector according to claim 2 ,
wherein the reflective element is a movable reflective element for being adjusted to at least two different positions,
wherein, in the at least two different positions, the illumination light is reflected into different directions.

4. The detector according to claim 3 ,
wherein the movable reflective element scans the illumination light through at least one scan region in space.

5. The detector according to claim 3 ,
wherein the movable reflective element comprises at least one movable mirror.

6. The detector according to claim 2 ,
wherein the reflective element reflects light in an infrared spectral range,
wherein light in a visible spectral range is transmitted.

7. The detector according to claim 2 ,
wherein the reflective element is selected from the group consisting of: a mirror; a semitransparent mirror; a mirror or semi-transparent mirror reflecting only specific spectral regions; a prism; a dichroitic mirror; and a beam splitter cube.

8. The detector according to claim 1 ,
further comprising:
at least one imaging device,
wherein the light beam traveling from the object to the detector passes through the longitudinal optical sensor before impinging on the imaging device.

9. The detector according to claim 8 ,
wherein the imaging device comprises a camera chip.

10. The detector according to claim 8 ,
wherein the imaging device comprises an inorganic imaging device.

11. The detector according to claim 8 ,
wherein the imaging device comprises a matrix of pixels.

12. The detector according to claim 8 ,
wherein the imaging device comprises a chip selected from the group consisting of a CMOS chip and a CCD chip.

13. The detector according to claim 8 ,
wherein the imaging device resolves colors.

14. The detector according to claim 8 ,
wherein the imaging device is a full-color CCD or CMOS chip.

15. The detector according to claim 1 ,
wherein the detector further comprising:
at least one beam-splitting device,
wherein the beam-splitting device separates the illumination light emitted by the illumination source before passing the longitudinal optical sensor from the light beam traveling from the object to the detector after passing the longitudinal optical sensor.

16. The detector according to claim 15 ,
wherein the beam-splitting device is selected from the group consisting of: a semitransparent mirror; a mirror or semi-transparent mirror reflecting only specific spectral regions; a prism; a dichroitic mirror; and a beam splitter cube.

17. The detector according to claim 15 ,
wherein the beam-splitting device is a movable reflective element for being adjusted to at least two different positions,
wherein, in the at least two different positions, the illumination light is reflected into different directions.

18. The detector according to claim 1 ,
wherein the longitudinal sensor signal is further dependent on a modulation frequency of the light beam.

19. The detector according to claim 1 ,
wherein the illumination source periodically modulates at least one optical property of the illumination light.

20. The detector according to claim 19 ,
wherein the at least one optical property is selected from the group consisting of an amplitude and a phase of the illumination light.

21. The detector according to claim 1 ,
further comprising:
at least one optical device,
wherein the optical device comprises at least one element having one or both of a focusing or a defocusing effect onto at least one of the illumination light and the light beam.

22. The detector according to claim 21 ,
wherein the at least one optical device is fully or partially positioned in one or more of the following positions
in a beam path in between the illumination source and the longitudinal optical sensor;
in a beam path between the longitudinal optical sensor and the object;
in a beam path in between the longitudinal optical sensor and an imaging device adapted such that the light beam traveling from the object to the detector passes through the longitudinal optical sensor before passing the optical device and impinging on the imaging device.

23. The detector according to claim 22 ,
wherein the optical device comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of: a focusing lens; a defocusing lens; a camera lens; a curved mirror; and a diaphragm.

24. The detector according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one longitudinal optical sensor comprises a sensor stack of at least two longitudinal optical sensors.

25. The detector according to claim 24 ,
wherein the sensor stack is composed of longitudinal optical sensors being arranged such that the sensor regions of the longitudinal optical sensors are oriented perpendicular to an optical axis of the detector.

26. The detector according to claim 1 ,
wherein the illumination light has a wavelength in an infrared spectral range.

27. The detector according to claim 1 ,
wherein the illumination light at least partially travels parallel to an optical axis of the detector.

28. The detector according to claim 22 ,
wherein the longitudinal optical sensor, the illumination source and, optionally, the imaging device are arranged coaxially with regard to an optical axis of the detector.

29. The detector according to claim 1 ,
wherein the longitudinal optical sensor comprises at least one semiconductor detector.

30. The detector according to claim 29 ,
wherein the semiconductor detector is an organic semiconductor detector comprising at least one organic material.

31. The detector according to claim 29 ,
wherein the semiconductor detector is selected from the group consisting of an organic solar cell, a dye solar cell, a dye-sensitized solar cell, a solid dye solar cell, and a solid dye-sensitized solar cell.

32. The detector according to claim 1 ,
wherein the longitudinal optical sensor comprises at least one first electrode, at least one n-semiconducting metal oxide, at least one dye, at least one p-semiconducting organic material, and at l

Assignees

• Basf Se

Inventors

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

Classifications

• G01S17/42

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

• G01S17/89

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title

• G01S7/4816

  of receivers alone · CPC title

• G01S7/4812 Primary

  transmitted and received beams following a coaxial path · CPC title

• G01S3/783

  using amplitude comparison of signals derived from static detectors or detector systems · CPC title