US 11,698,435 B2
Detector for optically detecting at least one object
Michael Eberspach, Ludwigshafen (DE); Thomas Ohmer, Ludwigshafen (DE); Robert Send, Ludwigshafen (DE); Christian Lennartz, Ludwigshafen (DE); Christopher Hahne, Ludwigshafen (DE); Stefan Hengen, Ludwigshafen (DE); Sebastian Valouch, Ludwigshafen (DE); Christoph Lungenschmied, Ludwigshafen (DE); Ingmar Bruder, Ludwigshafen (DE); Wilfried Hermes, Ludwigshafen (DE); Celal Mohan Oeguen, Ludwigshafen (DE); Christian Daniel Schildknecht, Ludwigshafen (DE); Peter Schillen, Ludwigshafen (DE); Patrick Schindler, Ludwigshafen (DE); and Peter Fejes, Ludwigshafen (DE)
Assigned to TRINAMIX GMBH, Ludwigshafen am Rhein (DE)
Filed by trinamix GmbH, Ludwigshafen am Rhein (DE)
Filed on Jul. 12, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/812,033.
Application 17/812,033 is a continuation of application No. 16/461,670, granted, now 11,415,661, previously published as PCT/EP2017/079564, filed on Nov. 17, 2017.
Claims priority of application No. 16199397 (EP), filed on Nov. 17, 2016; application No. 16199398 (EP), filed on Nov. 17, 2016; application No. 17161334 (EP), filed on Mar. 16, 2017; application No. 17195398 (EP), filed on Oct. 9, 2017; and application No. 17195427 (EP), filed on Oct. 9, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2022/0373641 A1, Nov. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. G01J 1/04 (2006.01); G01S 5/16 (2006.01); G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01S 11/12 (2006.01); G01S 17/36 (2006.01); G01J 1/42 (2006.01); G01S 7/48 (2006.01); G01S 7/493 (2006.01); G01S 17/32 (2020.01); G01S 17/50 (2006.01); G01S 17/66 (2006.01); G01S 17/89 (2020.01); G01S 17/46 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 5/16 (2013.01) [G01J 1/0411 (2013.01); G01J 1/0422 (2013.01); G01J 1/4228 (2013.01); G01S 7/4804 (2013.01); G01S 7/4808 (2013.01); G01S 7/4816 (2013.01); G01S 7/493 (2013.01); G01S 11/12 (2013.01); G01S 17/32 (2013.01); G01S 17/36 (2013.01); G01S 17/46 (2013.01); G01S 17/50 (2013.01); G01S 17/66 (2013.01); G01S 17/89 (2013.01)] 44 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A detector for determining a position of at least one object, the detector having
at least one sensor element having a matrix of optical sensors, the optical sensors each having a light-sensitive area, wherein each optical sensor is configured to generate at least one sensor signal in response to an illumination of the light-sensitive area by at least one light beam propagating from the object to the detector; and
at least one evaluation device configured for evaluating the sensor signals, by
a) determining at least one optical sensor having the highest sensor signal and forming at least one center signal;
b) evaluating the sensor signals of the optical sensors of the matrix and forming at least one sum signal;
c) determining at least one combined signal by combining the center signal and the sum signal; and
d) determining at least one longitudinal coordinate z of the object by evaluating the combined signal;
wherein the detector is configured to be used for an application selected from the group consisting of mobile phone applications, facial recognition application, automotive applications, tablet applications, laptop applications, cleaning robot applications, smart panel applications, medical applications, endoscope applications, crop applications, quality inspection applications, and combinations thereof.