Abstract: A laser scanning sensor includes a distance data acquisition unit which acquires distance information in each measurement direction, and a memory which stores, as background distance information, a distance of an outer periphery of the detection area in each measurement direction. The sensor also includes a mirror surface determination unit which determines the presence of a reflecting surface when the distance information in continuous measurement directions is greater by at least a predetermined distance than the corresponding background distance information, and when this state changes thereafter by at least a predetermined rate in a predetermined time, a human body determination unit which extracts a portion of the distance information that may correspond to a human body and determines whether it corresponds to a human body, and an alarm output control unit which outputs an alarm signal when the presence of the reflecting surface or the human body is confirmed.

Abstract: A laser scanning sensor includes a laser light-emitting element to emit a pulse laser beam, a light-receiving element to receive a returned reflected beam, a rotary polygon mirror having a plurality of reflecting surfaces to change the travelling direction of the pulse laser beam, and a drive motor to rotate the rotary polygon mirror in a predetermined direction. The sensor also includes an encoder to detect the rotation status of the rotary polygon mirror and to generate a reference signal and trigger signals for the respective reflecting surfaces, and a control/calculation unit to produce a projection pulse train in a specific pulse cycle after a delay time from the generation of a trigger signal for each of the reflecting surfaces, and to acquire distance information per pulse, based on the time after the start of emission of the pulse laser beam before the return of the reflected beam.

Abstract: A laser scanning sensor includes a distance data acquisition unit which acquires distance information in each measurement direction, and a memory which stores, as background distance information, a distance of an outer periphery of the detection area in each measurement direction. The sensor also includes a mirror surface determination unit which determines the presence of a reflecting surface when the distance information in continuous measurement directions is greater by at least a predetermined distance than the corresponding background distance information, and when this state changes thereafter by at least a predetermined rate in a predetermined time, a human body determination unit which extracts a portion of the distance information that may correspond to a human body and determines whether it corresponds to a human body, and an alarm output control unit which outputs an alarm signal when the presence of the reflecting surface or the human body is confirmed.

Abstract: A laser scanning sensor includes a laser light-emitting element to emit a pulse laser beam, a light-receiving element to receive a returned reflected beam, a rotary polygon mirror having a plurality of reflecting surfaces to change the travelling direction of the pulse laser beam, and a drive motor to rotate the rotary polygon mirror in a predetermined direction. The sensor also includes an encoder to detect the rotation status of the rotary polygon mirror and to generate a reference signal and trigger signals for the respective reflecting surfaces, and a control/calculation unit to produce a projection pulse train in a specific pulse cycle after a delay time from the generation of a trigger signal for each of the reflecting surfaces, and to acquire distance information per pulse, based on the time after the start of emission of the pulse laser beam before the return of the reflected beam.

Abstract: In a laser range finder, each reflected light reflected by at least one object of pulsed laser light emitted by a light emitting element reaches a light receiving element, and distance information to the at least one object is acquired based on an amount of time from a light emission starting time for the pulsed laser light to an output starting time from the light receiving element. An erroneous detection reducing circuit for the laser range finder includes: a comparator receiving as inputs a threshold and a light-reception output from the light receiving element; a time measuring section measuring time elapsed since the light emission starting time for the pulsed laser light; and a setting changing section changing either one or both of the threshold and an amplification factor of the comparator for the light-reception output in accordance with a time measurement value obtained by the time measuring section.

Abstract: The laser scanning sensor includes a laser distance meter, a scanning mechanism, a distance data acquisition unit, a distance data complementation unit, a human body judgment unit, an alarm output control unit, and a memory. For each measurement direction when a piece of distance information corresponds to an unintended object located at a shorter distance than an object to be originally detected and when complementation of the piece of distance information is possible based on a piece of distance information in an adjacent measurement direction or at a previous measurement cycle, the distance data complementation unit replaces the piece of distance information in the measurement direction corresponding to the unintended object with an interpolated value based on the piece of distance information acquired in the adjacent measurement direction or with an interpolated value based on the piece of distance information acquired in the measurement direction at a previous measurement cycle.

Abstract: In a laser range finder, each reflected light reflected by at least one object of pulsed laser light emitted by a light emitting element reaches a light receiving element, and distance information to the at least one object is acquired based on an amount of time from a light emission starting time for the pulsed laser light to an output starting time from the light receiving element. An erroneous detection reducing circuit for the laser range finder includes: a comparator receiving as inputs a threshold and a light-reception output from the light receiving element; a time measuring section measuring time elapsed since the light emission starting time for the pulsed laser light; and a setting changing section changing either one or both of the threshold and an amplification factor of the comparator for the light-reception output in accordance with a time measurement value obtained by the time measuring section.

Abstract: The configuration includes a laser range finder (110), a scan mechanism (120), a distance-data acquiring unit (130), a memory (160), which stores installation state information and detection-area information for each measurement direction, a human-body determining unit (140), a detection area-information updater (140), which updates detection-area information under a predetermined condition, and the alert-output control unit (150). The human-body determining unit (140) extracts a portion that possibly corresponds to a human body in an object that has invaded or moved, which is found out by comparison with the detection-area information based on the acquired distance information, and determines whether or not a rest of the respective extracted portions is a human body based on a movement state of each of the extracted portion in chronological order. The rest of the extracted portions excludes the extracted portions where a movement distance within a predetermined time is within a predetermined distance.

Abstract: The configuration includes a laser range finder (110), a scan mechanism (120), a distance-data acquiring unit (130), a memory (160), a human-body determining unit (140), which detects an object with possibility to correspond to a human body from acquired distance information, calculates a height and a width of the object based on installation state information stored in the memory (160), determines that the object is a human body when detection of the object continues for a first predetermined time or longer in the case where a calculated object height is a predetermined height or more, and determines that the object is a human body when detection of the object continues for a second predetermined time longer than the first predetermined time or longer in the case where the calculated object height is less than the predetermined height, and an alert-output control unit (150).

Abstract: The laser scanning sensor includes a laser distance meter, a scanning mechanism, a distance data acquisition unit, a distance data complementation unit, a human body judgment unit, an alarm output control unit, and a memory. For each measurement direction when a piece of distance information corresponds to an unintended object located at a shorter distance than an object to be originally detected and when complementation of the piece of distance information is possible based on a piece of distance information in an adjacent measurement direction or at a previous measurement cycle, the distance data complementation unit replaces the piece of distance information in the measurement direction corresponding to the unintended object with an interpolated value based on the piece of distance information acquired in the adjacent measurement direction or with an interpolated value based on the piece of distance information acquired in the measurement direction at a previous measurement cycle.

Abstract: The configuration includes a laser range finder (110), a scan mechanism (120), a distance-data acquiring unit (130), a memory (160), which stores installation state information and detection-area information for each measurement direction, a human-body determining unit (140), a detection area-information updater (140), which updates detection-area information under a predetermined condition, and the alert-output control unit (150). The human-body determining unit (140) extracts a portion that possibly corresponds to a human body in an object that has invaded or moved, which is found out by comparison with the detection-area information based on the acquired distance information, and determines whether or not a rest of the respective extracted portions is a human body based on a movement state of each of the extracted portion in chronological order. The rest of the extracted portions excludes the extracted portions where a movement distance within a predetermined time is within a predetermined distance.

Abstract: The configuration includes a laser range finder (110), a scan mechanism (120), a distance-data acquiring unit (130), a memory (160), a human-body determining unit (140), which detects an object with possibility to correspond to a human body from acquired distance information, calculates a height and a width of the object based on installation state information stored in the memory (160), determines that the object is a human body when detection of the object continues for a first predetermined time or longer in the case where a calculated object height is a predetermined height or more, and determines that the object is a human body when detection of the object continues for a second predetermined time longer than the first predetermined time or longer in the case where the calculated object height is less than the predetermined height, and an alert-output control unit (150).

Abstract: A laser scanning sensor includes a laser range finder, a scanning mechanism, a data acquisition portion, a dirt determination portion, an alert output control portion and a memory. The laser range finder is arranged inside a housing having an opening portion, and the opening portion is covered with a lens cover that can transmit laser light. In the dirt determination portion, a predetermined threshold to be compared with a received light level is changed based on maximum detection distance information in each measurement direction.

Abstract: In a target detecting technique using a laser sensor, misdetection can be reduced while maintaining a wide detecting range. A target detecting method for detecting a target by emitting a laser beam diagonally downward from an installing position of a laser emitting and receiving portion. The method includes the steps of: obtaining distance information from the laser emitting and receiving portion to an object to be detected; determining, when the object to be detected approaches the laser emitting and receiving portion, whether the tracking of the object to be detected is stopped or not; and determining, when the tracking of the object to be detected is stopped, whether the object to be detected is the target or a non-target based on distance information immediately before the tracking of the object to be detected is stopped.

Abstract: A laser scanning sensor (100) of an embodiment of the present invention includes a laser range finder (110), a scanning mechanism (120), a data acquisition portion (130), a dirt determination portion (140), an alert output control portion (150) and a memory (160). The laser range finder (110) is arranged inside a housing (101) having an opening portion, and the opening portion is covered with a lens cover (116) that can transmit laser light. In the dirt determination portion (140), a predetermined threshold to be compared with a received light level is changed based on maximum detection distance information in each measurement direction.

Abstract: A laser area sensor includes a laser range finder, a scanning mechanism that changes a measurement direction of the laser range finder, and a distance data acquiring portion that defines a detection area and acquires distance information in each direction in the detection area in a time-series manner, by periodically causing the laser range finder to perform measurement while causing the measurement direction to be changed. The laser area sensor also includes a human body judging portion that extracts a portion that is presumed to correspond to a human body, from among the distance information and judges whether or not the extracted portion matches a human body based on a time-series moving status of the extracted portion, an alert output control portion, a memory, and a DIP switch.

Abstract: One embodiment includes: A laser range finder that obtains a distance to an object and a light-reception level of reflected light: a scanning mechanism that changes the measurement direction; a data acquiring portion that periodically performs measurement while changing the measurement direction; a data correcting portion that removes distance information of a portion corresponding to a discontinuous change and corrects light-reception level information of a portion that does not correspond to the discontinuous change after the obtained distance information and light-reception level information are compared with distance information and light-reception level information of preceding and succeeding measurement periods in each direction; a human body judging portion that extracts a portion that is presumed to correspond to a human body, and judges whether or not the extracted portion matches a human body based on a time-series moving status of the extracted portion; and an alert output control portion.

Abstract: One embodiment includes: a laser range finder that obtains a distance to an object and a light-reception level of reflected light: a scanning mechanism that changes the measurement direction; a data acquiring portion that periodically performs measurement while changing the measurement direction; a data correcting portion that removes distance information of a portion corresponding to a discontinuous change and corrects light-reception level information of a portion that does not correspond to the discontinuous change after the obtained distance information and light-reception level information are compared with distance information and light-reception level information of preceding and succeeding measurement periods in each direction; a human body judging portion that extracts a portion that is presumed to correspond to a human body, and judges whether or not the extracted portion matches a human body based on a time-series moving status of the extracted portion; and an alert output control portion.

Abstract: In a target detecting technique using a laser sensor, misdetection can be reduced while maintaining a wide detecting range. A target detecting method for detecting a target by emitting a laser beam diagonally downward from an installing position of a laser emitting and receiving portion. The method includes the steps of: obtaining distance information from the laser emitting and receiving portion to an object to be detected; determining, when the object to be detected approaches the laser emitting and receiving portion, whether the tracking of the object to be detected is stopped or not; and determining, when the tracking of the object to be detected is stopped, whether the object to be detected is the target or a non-target based on distance information immediately before the tracking of the object to be detected is stopped.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a laser area sensor of the present invention comprises: a laser range finder; a scanning mechanism that changes a measurement direction of the laser range finder; a distance data acquiring portion that defines a detection area and acquires distance information in each direction in the detection area in a time-series manner, by periodically causing the laser range finder to perform measurement while causing the measurement direction to be changed; a human body judging portion that extracts a portion that is presumed to correspond to a human body, from among the distance information and judges whether or not the extracted portion matches a human body based on a time-series moving status of the extracted portion; an alert output control portion; a memory; and a DIP switch.