Abstract: An optoelectronic sensor for the detection of objects in a monitored region is provided that comprises at least one light transmitter for transmitting a plurality of light beams separate from one another starting from a respective transmission point, a common transmission optics for the transmitted light beams, at least one light receiver for generating a respective received signal from the remitted light beams reflected from the objects and incident at a respective reception point, a common reception optics for the remitted light beams and an evaluated unit for obtaining information on the objects from the received signals. In this connection the transmission points are arranged on a first circular line and/or the reception points are arranged on the second circular line.

Abstract: An optoelectronic sensor for detecting and determining the distance of an object in a monitored area is specified with a light emitter having a light source for emitting light pulses, a light receiver for generating a received signal from a light pulse remitted by the object and with a control and evaluation unit, which is designed to control the light emitter and to determine a time-of-flight of the light and, from this, a distance of the object to the sensor. The control and evaluation unit has a time measurement unit which is set up to receive the received signal and a trigger signal and to determine the time-of-flight of the light from a time interval between the trigger signal and the received signal. The sensor further has a trigger circuit that is set up to tap a voltage applied to the light source of the light emitter and to output the trigger signal when an amount of the tapped voltage exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: An optoelectronic sensor (10) for detecting objects in a monitoring region (20), the sensor (10) having a scanning unit (12, 58) movable about an axis of rotation (18), a plurality of scanning modules (22) for periodically scanning the monitoring region (20) and for generating corresponding received signals, and an evaluation unit (48) for obtaining information about the objects from the received signals, the scanning modules (22) comprising at least one light transmitter (24) for transmitting several light beams (28) separated from one another and at least one light receiver (36) for generating the received signals from the light beams (32) remitted by the objects, wherein at least one scanning module (22) is at least one of tilted by a tilt angle (?) relative to its main viewing direction and rotated by a rotation angle (?).

Abstract: A light receiver (22) is provided having a plurality of avalanche photodiode elements (24) that can each be biased above a breakdown voltage by a bias voltage and can thus be operated in a Geiger mode, wherein the avalanche photodiode elements (24) form a plurality of groups, and having a control unit (30) to change the sensitivity of the avalanche photodiode elements (24) of a respective group. In this respect, the control unit (30) is configured to respectively change the sensitivity of the avalanche photodiode elements (24) of a group at at least one point in time assigned to the group, with different points in time being assigned to the groups.

Abstract: A distance-measuring optoelectronic sensor (10) for detecting and determining a distance of an object (16) in a monitoring area (14), the sensor (10) having a light transmitter (12) for transmitting a transmission signal, a light receiver (18) for generating a reception signal and a control and evaluation unit (24) configured to determine a light time of flight from the reception signal and, from that, the distance of the object (16), wherein the control and evaluation unit (24) is further configured to transmit at least one periodically modulated pulse as a transmission signal, to determine a reception time of the pulse in the reception signal and a phase offset of the modulation between transmission signal and reception signal in a neighborhood of the reception time and to determine the distance of the object (16) from the reception time and the phase offset.

Abstract: A light receiver (100), comprising: a plurality of avalanche photodiode elements (10) each being biased with a bias voltage above a breakdown voltage and thus operated in a Geiger mode in order to trigger a Geiger current upon light reception and a plurality of readout circuits (42, 44, 46) associated with individual avalanche photodiode elements (10) or a group of avalanche photodiode elements (10) for reading out a Geiger current generated upon light reception, wherein the readout circuits (42, 44, 46) each comprise a measurement path (42) and a blanking path (46) as well as a switching element (44) for selectively supplying the Geiger current, or a measurement current corresponding to the Geiger current, to the measurement path (42) or the blanking path (46).

Abstract: A light receiver (22) having a plurality of avalanche photodiode elements (24) each configured to be biased with a bias voltage above a breakdown voltage and thus to be operated in a Geiger mode for triggering a Geiger current upon light reception, the light receiver (22) comprising a plurality of bias voltage terminals (40a-c) providing different bias voltages, wherein the avalanche photodiode elements (24) form a plurality of groups (421-42n), and wherein the avalanche photodiode elements (24) of a group (421-42n) are each supplied with a same one of the different bias voltages.

Abstract: A light receiver (22) is provided having a plurality of avalanche photodiode elements (24) that can each be biased above a breakdown voltage by a bias voltage and can thus be operated in a Geiger mode, wherein the avalanche photodiode elements (24) form a plurality of groups, and having a control unit (30) to change the sensitivity of the avalanche photodiode elements (24) of a respective group. In this respect, the control unit (30) is configured to respectively change the sensitivity of the avalanche photodiode elements (24) of a group at at least one point in time assigned to the group, with different points in time being assigned to the groups.

Abstract: A light receiver (50) is provided having a plurality of avalanche photodiode elements (10) that are each biased by a bias above a breakdown voltage and that are thus operated in a Geiger mode to trigger a Geiger current on light reception. The avalanche photodiode elements (10) have a first connector (20, 22, 28a-b) and a second connector (20, 22, 28a-b). A first signal tapping circuit (12) for reading out the avalanche photodiode elements is connected to one of the connectors (20, 22, 28a-b). In this respect, a second signal tapping circuit (12) for reading out the avalanche photodiode elements (10) is connected to the other connector (20, 22, 28a-b).

Abstract: An optoelectronic sensor for the detection of objects in a monitored region is provided that comprises at least one light transmitter for transmitting a plurality of light beams separate from one another starting from a respective transmission point, a common transmission optics for the transmitted light beams, at least one light receiver for generating a respective received signal from the remitted light beams reflected from the objects and incident at a respective reception point, a common reception optics for the remitted light beams and an evaluated unit for obtaining information on the objects from the received signals. In this connection the transmission points are arranged on a first circular line and/or the reception points are arranged on the second circular line.

Abstract: An optoelectronic sensor (10) for detecting objects in a monitoring region (20), the sensor (10) having a scanning unit (12, 58) movable about an axis of rotation (18), a plurality of scanning modules (22) for periodically scanning the monitoring region (20) and for generating corresponding received signals, and an evaluation unit (48) for obtaining information about the objects from the received signals, the scanning modules (22) comprising at least one light transmitter (24) for transmitting several light beams (28) separated from one another and at least one light receiver (36) for generating the received signals from the light beams (32) remitted by the objects, wherein at least one scanning module (22) is at least one of tilted by a tilt angle (?) relative to its main viewing direction and rotated by a rotation angle (?).

Abstract: A distance-measuring optoelectronic sensor (10) for detecting and determining a distance of an object (16) in a monitoring area (14), the sensor (10) having a light transmitter (12) for transmitting a transmission signal, a light receiver (18) for generating a reception signal and a control and evaluation unit (24) configured to determine a light time of flight from the reception signal and, from that, the distance of the object (16), wherein the control and evaluation unit (24) is further configured to transmit at least one periodically modulated pulse as a transmission signal, to determine a reception time of the pulse in the reception signal and a phase offset of the modulation between transmission signal and reception signal in a neighborhood of the reception time and to determine the distance of the object (16) from the reception time and the phase offset.

Abstract: A light receiver (10, 50) having a plurality of avalanche photo diode elements (10, 12a-c) which are biased with a bias voltage greater than a breakthrough voltage and are thus operated in a Geiger mode in order to trigger a Geiger current upon light reception, and having a signal detection circuit (50) for reading out the avalanche photo diode elements (10, 12a-c), wherein the signal detection circuit (50) comprises an active coupling element (52) having an input (54) connected to the avalanche photo diode elements (10, 12a-c) and an output (56), the active coupling element (52) mapping the Geiger current at the input (54) to a measuring current corresponding to the Geiger current in its course and level, wherein the input (54) forms a virtual short-circuit for the Geiger current with respect to a potential (ground, ?UBE; Uconst?UBE), and the output (56) is decoupled from the input (54).

Abstract: A light receiver (22) having a plurality of avalanche photodiode elements (24) each configured to be biased with a bias voltage above a breakdown voltage and thus to be operated in a Geiger mode for triggering a Geiger current upon light reception, the light receiver (22) comprising a plurality of bias voltage terminals (40a-c) providing different bias voltages, wherein the avalanche photodiode elements (24) form a plurality of groups (421-42n), and wherein the avalanche photodiode elements (24) of a group (421-42n) are each supplied with a same one of the different bias voltages.

Abstract: A light receiver (100), comprising: a plurality of avalanche photodiode elements (10) each being biased with a bias voltage above a breakdown voltage and thus operated in a Geiger mode in order to trigger a Geiger current upon light reception and a plurality of readout circuits (42, 44, 46) associated with individual avalanche photodiode elements (10) or a group of avalanche photodiode elements (10) for reading out a Geiger current generated upon light reception, wherein the readout circuits (42, 44, 46) each comprise a measurement path (42) and a blanking path (46) as well as a switching element (44) for selectively supplying the Geiger current, or a measurement current corresponding to the Geiger current, to the measurement path (42) or the blanking path (46).

Abstract: A light receiver (50) is provided having a plurality of avalanche photodiode elements (10) that are each biased by a bias above a breakdown voltage and that are thus operated in a Geiger mode to trigger a Geiger current on light reception, wherein the avalanche photodiode elements (10) have a first connector (20, 22, 28a-b) and a second connector (20, 22, 28a-b); and wherein a first signal tapping circuit (12) for reading out the avalanche photodiode elements is connected to one of the connectors (20, 22, 28a-b). In this respect, a second signal tapping circuit (12) for reading out the avalanche photodiode elements (10) is connected to the other connector (20, 22, 28a-b).

Abstract: A light receiver (10, 50) having a plurality of avalanche photo diode elements (10, 12a-c) which are biased with a bias voltage greater than a breakthrough voltage and are thus operated in a Geiger mode in order to trigger a Geiger current upon light reception, and having a signal detection circuit (50) for reading out the avalanche photo diode elements (10, 12a-c), wherein the signal detection circuit (50) comprises an active coupling element (52) having an input (54) connected to the avalanche photo diode elements (10, 12a-c) and an output (56), the active coupling element (52) mapping the Geiger current at the input (54) to a measuring current corresponding to the Geiger current in its course and level, wherein the input (54) forms a virtual short-circuit for the Geiger current with respect to a potential (ground, ?UBE; Uconst?UBE), and the output (56) is decoupled from the input (54).

Abstract: A heterodyne receiver has a mixer with at least one transistor whose operating point can be varied dynamically. The quality of the output signal from the mixer is assessed in order to control the operating point. The operating point is set such that the collector current is increased when the intermodulation interference is high, thus improving the intermodulation resistance. The collector current is reduced when the intermodulation interference is low, thus reducing the transistor noise. Furthermore, the current drawn is reduced in this situation. The circuit and the method are particularly suitable for RF receivers without tunable input filters, and for receivers in which the power consumption must be low.

Abstract: A circuit for breaking a signal path has not only a switching means but also a low-pass or bandpass filter whose frequency characteristic is switchable or bypassable. The insulation between the input and the output when the switching means is open, which decreases with frequency in the case of ordinary switching means, is compensated for by the filter which is then connected. In one embodiment of the circuit, an out-of-band signal is applied to the circuit in addition to the useful signal. The out-of-band signal is intended to be supplied permanently to an evaluation circuit, regardless of the switching position of the switching means. To this end, the out-of-band signal is tapped off downstream of the filter, and the filter is designed such that the out-of-band signal can pass through the filter. In the case of a circuit for selecting one of two inputs, at least one of the inputs is provided with a switchable or bypassable filter, and the switching means is a selection means.

Abstract: In a circuit for reception of signals which have been modulated onto electromagnetic waves, an antenna arrangement (11) having a variable resonant frequency, a tunable oscillator, a variable gain amplifier, an evaluation circuit (14) and a decoder (13) are provided. The evaluation circuit (14) is supplied with the control signals of the oscillator (VT) and of the amplifier (VAGC) and with an error rate signal (BER) from the decoder (13). The resonant frequency of the antenna arrangement (11) is varied as a function of the signals which are applied to the evaluation circuit (14), such that the resonant frequency of the antenna arrangement (11) is matched to the respective reception conditions. This makes it possible to compensate for changes in the reception conditions, such as those which are caused, for example, by people or objects in the vicinity of the antenna arrangement (11).