Detector for optically detecting at least one longitudinal coordinate of one object by determining a number of illuminated pixels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9829564-B2
Application number	US-201414896958-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2014
Priority date	Jun 13, 2013
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

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 detector for determining a position of at least one object, the detector comprising:
at least one optical sensor, the optical sensor being adapted to detect a light beam traveling from the object towards the detector, the optical sensor having at least one matrix of pixels; and
at least one evaluation device, the evaluation device being adapted to determine a number N of pixels of the optical sensor which are illuminated by the light beam, the evaluation device further being adapted to determine at least one longitudinal coordinate of the object by using the number N of pixels which are illuminated by the light beam.

2. The detector according to claim 1 , wherein the optical sensor is adapted to generate at least one signal indicating an intensity of illumination for each of the pixels.

3. The detector according to claim 2 , wherein the evaluation device is adapted to compare, for each of the pixels, the signal to at least one threshold in order to determine whether the pixel is an illuminated pixel or not.

4. The detector according to claim 3 , wherein the evaluation device is adapted to determine at least one pixel having the highest illumination out of the pixels by comparing the signals of the pixels.

5. The detector according to claim 4 , wherein the evaluation device is further adapted to choose the threshold as a fraction of the signal of the at least one pixel having the highest illumination.

6. The detector according to claim 5 , wherein the evaluation device is adapted to choose the threshold by multiplying the signal of the at least one pixel having the highest illumination with a factor of 1/e 2 .

7. The detector according to claim 1 , wherein the evaluation device is adapted to determine the longitudinal coordinate of the object by using a predeteiinined relationship between the number N of pixels which are illuminated by the light beam and the longitudinal coordinate.

8. The detector according to claim 7 , wherein the predetermined relationship is based on the assumption of the light beam being a Gaussian light beam.

9. The detector according to claim 7 , wherein the predetermined relationship is

N
~
π

·

w
0
2

·

(

1
+

(

z

z
0

)

2

)

,

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

10. The detector according to claim 1 , wherein the detector comprises a plurality of the optical sensors.

11. The detector according to claim 10 , wherein the detector comprises n optical sensors, wherein the evaluation device is adapted to determine the number N i of pixels which are illuminated by the light beam for each of the optical sensors, wherein iε{1, n} denotes the respective optical sensor.

12. The detector according to claim 10 , wherein the evaluation device is adapted to compare the number N i of pixels which are illuminated by the light beam for each optical sensor with at least one neighboring optical sensor, thereby resolving an ambiguity in the longitudinal coordinate of the object.

13. The detector according to claim 10 , wherein at least one of the optical sensors is transparent.

14. The detector according to claim 10 , wherein at least two of the optical sensors have a differing spectral sensitivity, wherein the evaluation device is adapted to determine a color of the light beam by comparing sensor signals of the optical sensors having the differing spectral sensitivity.

15. The detector according to claim 1 , wherein the evaluation device is further adapted to determine at least one transversal coordinate of the object by determining a position of the light beam on the matrix of pixels.

16. The detector according to claim 1 , wherein the detector further comprises at least one transfer device, the transfer device being adapted to guide the light beam onto the optical sensor.

17. The detector according to claim 1 , wherein the optical sensor comprises at least one first electrode, at least one second electrode and at least one light-sensitive layer embedded in between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the first electrode comprises a plurality of first electrode stripes and wherein the second electrode comprises a plurality of second electrode stripes, wherein the first electrode stripes are oriented perpendicular to the second electrode stripes.

18. A detector system for determining a position of at least one object, the detector system comprising at least one detector according to claim 1 , the detector system further comprising at least one beacon device adapted to direct at least one light beam towards the detector, wherein the beacon device is at least one of attachable to the object, holdable by the object and integratable into the object.

19. A human-machine interface for exchanging at least one item of information between a user and a machine, wherein the human-machine interface comprises at least one detector system according to claim 18 , wherein the at least one beacon device is adapted to be at least one of directly or indirectly attached to the user and held by the user, wherein the human-machine interface is designed to determine at least one position of the user by means of the detector system, wherein the human-machine interface is designed to assign to the position at least one item of information.

20. An entertainment device for carrying out at least one entertainment function, wherein the entertainment device comprises at least one human-machine interface according to claim 19 , wherein the entertainment device is designed to enable at least one item of information to be input by a player by means of the human-machine interface, wherein the entertainment device is designed to vary the entertainment function in accordance with the information.

21. A tracking system for tracking a position of at least one movable object, the tracking system comprising at least one detector system according to claim 18 , the tracking system further comprising at least one track controller, wherein the track controller is adapted to track a series of positions of the object at specific points in time.

22. A camera for imaging at least one object, the camera comprising at least one detector according to claim 1 .

23. A method for determining a position of at least one object, the method comprising the following steps:
at least one detection step, wherein at least one light beam traveling from the object to a detector is detec

Assignees

• Basf Se

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H04N25/50

  Control of the SSIS exposure · CPC title

• A63F13/25

  Output arrangements for video game devices · CPC title

• G01S11/12

  using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves · CPC title

• G01C3/32 Primary

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

• G01S5/16 Primary

  using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves · CPC title