Patents Assigned to Sick AG
  • Patent number: 11453559
    Abstract: A method of recognizing consecutive objects on a conveying path in a detection zone arranged on the conveying path comprises the following steps: generating an electromagnetic radio frequency field radiating into the detection zone by way of a radio frequency sensor; measuring a time curve of a dielectric conductivity in the detection zone by using of the radio frequency field of the radio frequency sensor; and determining contour information of the consecutive objects from the time curve of the dielectric conductivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignees: SICK AG, DEUTSCHE POST AG
    Inventors: Oliver Prinz, Rainer Imm, Bernd Hartmann
  • Patent number: 11454348
    Abstract: An interlocking device for locking a movable safety guard has a locking unit, an electric mover, an additional release unit, a sensor device and an evaluation unit. The locking unit is movable between a locking position for interlocking the movable safety guard and a release position for releasing the movable safety guard and the mover is configured to move the locking unit between the locking position and the release position. The additional release unit is movable from a neutral position into an additional release position to move the locking unit from the locking position into the release position. The sensor device is configured to detect a position of the locking unit and a position of the additional release unit. The evaluation unit is configured to output a locking signal, a normal release signal, and an additional release signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: SICK AG
    Inventors: Julio Sandino Plariza, Omar Saycon, Trevor Lee
  • Patent number: 11442167
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle having a sensor and a sensor having a plurality of light transmitters and a plurality of light receivers that are arranged in a common housing, with the optical axes of the light transmitters and light receivers being arranged in parallel or in fan form in different angle directions having angular intervals, whereby a protected field is formed, and having a control and evaluation unit for monitoring and evaluating the protected field, wherein a camera is connected to the control and evaluation unit, with camera images of the camera being evaluated by the control and evaluation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: SICK AG
    Inventor: Michael Pfister
  • Patent number: 11372421
    Abstract: A navigation system for an automated guided vehicle comprises a set of marking elements which are to be arranged in grid form on the floor and in which navigation information is encoded; a sensor device to be arranged at the automated guided vehicle for reading navigation data from the marking elements; and an evaluation device connected to the sensor device for generating control signals for the automated guided vehicle with reference to read navigation data. Each of the marking elements has at least two graphical code patterns that are each designed as one-dimensional code patterns and comprise a code applied along a scanning direction, with the scanning directions of the at least two graphical code patterns being aligned offset from one another by an angular offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: SICK AG
    Inventors: Jonas Fischer, Andreas Behrens, Cornel Rombach
  • Patent number: 11370612
    Abstract: A transport system for products comprising a plurality of driverless transport units that move in a travel zone not accessible to persons and that do not have a sensor system for a reliable avoidance of accidents with persons. In this respect, at least one driverless transport unit is configured as an escort vehicle that has at least one sensor for a safe detection of sensor data to safely escort a person in the non-accessible travel zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: SICK AG
    Inventor: Kay Fürstenberg
  • Patent number: 11375102
    Abstract: A camera for detecting an object moved through a detection zone is provided that has an image sensor for recording image data, a reception optics having a focus adjustment unit for setting a focal position, a distance sensor for measuring a distance value from the object, and a control and evaluation unit connected to the distance sensor and the focus adjustment unit to set a focal position in dependence on the distance value, and to trigger a recording of image data at a focal position at which there is a focus deviation from a focal position that is ideal in accordance with the measured distance value, with the focus deviation remaining small enough for a required image definition of the image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: SICK AG
    Inventors: Romain Müller, Tobias Pontiggia
  • Patent number: 11372107
    Abstract: Triangulation photoelectric proximity sensor (1) having a first light emitter (2) for emitting transmitted light into a detection zone (3), a transmitting optical system (4), in particular a lens, being arranged upstream of the light emitter (2), a first light receiver (6) having an array of receiving elements (5) for receiving light from the detection zone (3), which is remitted by an object (7) to be detected, the receiving elements (5) generating respective received signals, a receiving optical system (8) arranged in the beam path between detection zone (3) and first light receiver (6) for generating a light spot from the remitted light on the first light receiver (6), wherein the position of the light spot in the triangulation direction on the first light receiver (6) results in dependence on the distance of the object (7), and a control and evaluation unit (9) for generating a detection signal from the received signals on the basis of the position of the light spot on the first light receiver (6), wherei
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: SICK AG
    Inventor: Kai Waslowski
  • Patent number: 11358176
    Abstract: In order to detect a correct sorting and a correct passing of an object through an assigned opening of a plurality of openings, a sorting detection system for detecting a passage of the object through the opening of the plurality of openings is provided. Each opening is assigned to a container. The containers receive the object; at least a first sensor identifies the object and generates an identification signal. A control unit receives the identification signal of the first sensor and assigns the identified object to a container based on the identification signal. At least one second sensor having a field of view directed towards the openings and includes at least one detection surface. The detection surface is located within the respective container at a predetermined distance from an edge of a respective opening, and an object passing the detection surface triggers a detection signal of the second sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: SICK AG
    Inventor: Robert Schröder
  • Patent number: 11354528
    Abstract: A code reading device for the parallel reading of a plurality of codes on a plurality of objects arranged next to one another is provided that has a camera unit having at least one camera head for recording an image of the objects, a control and evaluation unit that is configured to localize code zones of the codes in the image and to read the code information of the codes, and a display unit to present the image and to mark the read codes and/or objects having read codes, Here a hand reading unit for reading codes is provided to subsequently read codes not read by means of the camera unit and to transfer the subsequently read code information to the control and evaluation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: SICK AG
    Inventors: Stefan Lais, Carl Hafner, Rainer Maier, Karsten Heuser, Matthias Held, Helge Schlegel
  • Patent number: 11356637
    Abstract: A method of transmitting image data in a safety sensor or in a safety system is provided, in which transmission errors are recognized in that meta information is added to the image data prior to the transmission and the meta information is checked after the transmission. The image data are here transmitted by an unsafe communication link, in particular a black channel, the meta information is prepended and/or appended to the image data and/or to the partial packets, and the meta information comprises a piece of information on the structure of the image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: SICK AG
    Inventors: Lars Müller, Matthias Neubauer, Christoph Maier
  • Patent number: 11353560
    Abstract: A polygon scanner (10) for detecting objects (24) in a monitored zone (22) is provided having a light transmitter (12); having a light receiver (30); having an evaluation unit (32); and having a rotatable mirror unit (20) for a periodic deflection of the light beam (16) that has a plurality of mirror facets (34) in order thus to scan an angular section multiple times per rotation of the mirror unit (20) by a respective mirror facet (34), wherein at least some of the mirror facets (34) have a different curvature from one another. In this respect, at least one of the mirror facets (34) is configured as a free-form surface whose curvature is adapted to the angle of incidence of the transmitted light beam (16) on the mirror facet (34) that varies during the rotation of the mirror unit (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: SICK AG
    Inventors: Sascha Steinkogler, Florian Schneider, Helmut Weber, Stefan Seitz, Martin Högy
  • Patent number: 11333790
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of setting a plurality of part regions of a desired protected zone, in which a) the positions of a plurality of monitoring units are detected, with each monitoring unit detecting a detection zone; b) a maximum size of each detection zone is determined; c) the desired protected zone is fixed in a graphical user interface; d) the part regions to be monitored by the respective monitoring units are fixed with reference to the positions of the monitoring units, to the maximum size of the detection zones and of the desired protected zone; and e) the part regions are assigned to the respective monitoring units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: SICK AG
    Inventors: Bernd Rothenberger, Jonas Rist, Manfred Haberer
  • Patent number: 11313954
    Abstract: An optoelectronic sensor for detecting three-dimensional image data from a monitored zone is provided that has an illumination unit for illuminating the monitored zone with modulated transmitted light, a light receiver for a simultaneous light reception of the transmitted light remitted by objects in the monitored zone at at least two locations at a mutual distance corresponding to a first resolution pattern, and a control and illumination unit that is configured to determine times of flight from properties of the modulated and remitted transmitted light and to detect three-dimensional data in a second resolution pattern finer than the first resolution pattern by at least one measurement repetition with a light reception from at least two other locations shifted with respect to the first resolution pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: SICK AG
    Inventors: Martin Marra, Harmut Gimpel
  • Patent number: 11307084
    Abstract: An optoelectronic sensor having a reception element and at least one reception lens and an optical filter element, wherein the filter element is arranged without a gap between a first part lens and a second part lens, wherein the part lenses form one of the reception lenses or the reception lens, and wherein the optical filter element has at least one convex or concave shape and received light beams pass through the filter element at the same angle at every entry point or an optoelectronic sensor having a reception element and a reception lens and an optical filter element that is arranged between the reception element and the reception lens, wherein the optical filter element has at least one curved free-form surface so that the received light beams pass through the filter element at the surface of the optical filter element at the same angle at every entry point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: SICK AG
    Inventor: Ralf Ulrich Nübling
  • Patent number: 11294139
    Abstract: An optoelectronic sensor is provided comprising an optics with focus adjustment, wherein the sensor has a movable carrier element having the optics and a fixed position holding element, and wherein the position of the movable carrier element is variable with respect to the holding element for an adjustment of a focal position. In this respect, at least one rolled leaf spring is arranged between the carrier element and the holding element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: SICK AG
    Inventors: Florian Schneider, Tobias Pontiggia, Thomas Pfrengle
  • Patent number: 11294037
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: SICK AG
    Inventors: Sascha Steinkogler, Martin Marra, Klaus Clemens
  • Patent number: D960730
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: SICK AG
    Inventors: Dirk Spreemann, Davorin Jaksic
  • Patent number: D961419
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: SICK AG
    Inventors: Dirk Spreemann, Davorin Jaksic
  • Patent number: D961420
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: SICK AG
    Inventors: Dirk Spreemann, Davorin Jaksic
  • Patent number: D961421
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: SICK AG
    Inventors: Dirk Spreemann, Davorin Jaksic