Detector for determining a longitudinal coordinate of an object via an intensity distribution of illuminated pixels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9989623-B2
Application number	US-201414897467-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2014
Priority date	Jun 13, 2013
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

A detector for determining a position of at least one object. The detector includes: at least one optical sensor configured to detect a light beam traveling from the object towards the detector, the optical sensor including at least one matrix of pixels; and at least one evaluation device configured to determine an intensity distribution of pixels of the optical sensor that are illuminated by the light beam, the evaluation device further configured to determine at least one longitudinal coordinate of the object by using the intensity distribution.

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 configured to detect a light beam traveling from the object towards the detector, the optical sensor including at least one matrix of pixels; and
at least one evaluation device, configured to determine an intensity distribution of pixels of the optical sensor that are illuminated by the light beam, the evaluation device further configured to determine at least one longitudinal coordinate of the object by using the intensity distribution.

2. The detector according to claim 1 , wherein the evaluation device is configured to determine the longitudinal coordinate of the object by using a predetermined relationship between the intensity distribution and the longitudinal coordinate.

3. The detector according to claim 1 , wherein the evaluation device is configured to determine at least one intensity distribution function approximating the intensity distribution.

4. The detector according to claim 3 , wherein the evaluation device is configured to determine the longitudinal coordinate of the object by using a predetermined relationship between a longitudinal coordinate and at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of: the intensity distribution function; at least one parameter derived from the intensity distribution function.

5. The detector according to claim 3 , wherein the intensity distribution function is a beam shape function of the light beam.

6. The detector according claim 3 , wherein the intensity distribution function comprises a two-dimensional or a three-dimensional mathematical function approximating an intensity information contained within at least part of the pixels of the optical sensor.

7. The detector according to claim 6 , wherein the two-dimensional or three-dimensional mathematical function comprises at least one mathematical function selected from the group consisting: of a bell-shaped function; a Gaussian distribution function; a Bessel function; a Hermite-Gaussian function; a Laguerre-Gaussian function; a Lorentz distribution function; a binomial distribution function; a Poisson distribution function; at least one derivative, at least one linear combination or at least one product comprising one or more of the above functions.

8. The detector according to claim 1 , wherein the detector is configured to determine intensity distributions in a plurality of planes.

9. The detector according to claim 8 , wherein the detector comprises a plurality of optical sensors.

10. The detector according to claim 8 , wherein the evaluation device is configured to evaluate a change in the intensity distribution as a function of the longitudinal coordinate along the optical axis for determining the longitudinal coordinate of the object.

11. The detector according to claim 8 , wherein the evaluation device is configured to determine a plurality of intensity distribution functions, each intensity distribution function approximating the intensity distribution in one of the planes, wherein the evaluation device is further configured to derive the longitudinal coordinate of the object from the plurality of intensity distribution functions.

12. The detector according to claim 11 , wherein each of the intensity distribution functions is a beam shape function of the light beam in the respective plane.

13. The detector according to claim 11 , wherein evaluation device is configured to derive at least one beam parameter from each intensity distribution function.

14. The detector according to claim 13 , wherein the evaluation device is configured to evaluate a change of the at least one beam parameter as a function of a longitudinal coordinate along the optical axis for determining the longitudinal coordinate of the object.

15. A detector system for determining a position of at least one object, the detector system comprising:
at least one detector according to claim 1 ;
at least one beacon device configured 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.

16. 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 15 , wherein the at least one beacon device is configured to be at least one of directly attached to the user, indirectly attached to the user, and held by the user,
wherein the human-machine interface is configured to determine at least one position of the user by the detector system, wherein the human-machine interface is configured to assign to the position at least one item of information.

17. 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 16 , wherein the entertainment device is configured to enable at least one item of information to be input by a player by the human-machine interface;
wherein the entertainment device is configured to vary the entertainment function in accordance with the information.

18. 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 15 ;
at least one track controller, wherein the track controller is configured to track a series of positions of the object at specific points in time.

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

20. A method for determining a position of at least one object, the method comprising:
at least one detection, wherein at least one light beam traveling from the object to a detector is detected by at least one optical sensor of the detector; the at least one optical sensor including at least one matrix of pixels; and
at least one evaluation, wherein an intensity distribution of pixels of the optical sensor is determined that are illuminated by the light beam; wherein at least one longitudinal coordinate of the object is determined by using the intensity distribution.

Assignees

• Basf Se

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H04N25/50

  Control of the SSIS exposure · CPC title

• H04N5/351

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G01S5/163

  Determination of attitude (using inertial means G01C9/00; control of attitude G05D1/49) · CPC title

• G01S5/16 Primary

  using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves · CPC title

• G01S7/4816

  of receivers alone · CPC title