US 11,747,513 B2
Sensor apparatus
Jens Ottnad, Karlsruhe (DE); Dennis Wolf, Rutesheim (DE); Kevin Lutz, Boblingen (DE); Christoph Blömker, Stuttgart (DE); Michael Burger, Simonswald (DE); Peter Steurer, Geislingen (DE); Günter Hirt, Steinach (DE); and Stefan Kienzler, Freiburg (DE)
Assigned to SICK AG, Waldkirch/Breisgau (DE); and TRUMPF WERKZEUGMASCHINEN SE + CO. KG, Ditzingen (DE)
Appl. No. 17/415,940
Filed by SICK AG, Waldkirch/Breisgau (DE); and TRUMPF Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH + Co. KG, Ditzingen (DE)
PCT Filed Dec. 20, 2018, PCT No. PCT/EP2018/086311
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 18, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/126006, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 25, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0082724 A1, Mar. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. G01V 8/20 (2006.01); B23Q 15/007 (2006.01)
CPC G01V 8/20 (2013.01) [B23Q 15/007 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sensor apparatus for detecting a target object influenced by a process or formed in the process, the sensor apparatus comprising:
a sensor unit; and
an evaluation device,
the sensor unit configured to detect the target object in a detection zone of the sensor unit upon the target object entering free fall after formation by a machine and to generate a sensor signal capable of being influenced by the target object,
the evaluation device configured to process the sensor signal as a first input variable and to generate an output signal, which indicates detection of the target object, in dependence on the sensor signal,
the evaluation device configured to process at least one process parameter of the process, the process parameter acting on the target object, and a target object parameter, the target object parameter characterizing the target object and being influenced by the process, as a respective further input variable,
the evaluation device configured to generate the output signal in dependence on at least one of the process parameter or the target object parameter, and
the sensor unit configured to detect the target object in free fall through the detection zone.