Patents by Inventor Ulrich Zwölfer
Ulrich Zwölfer has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20220113413Abstract: An optoelectronic sensor for measuring a distance using a light time of flight method, comprising a light transmitter for transmitting a light signal, a light receiver having a plurality of light receiving elements for detecting received light, a plurality of light time of flight measuring units for determining respective individual light times of flight, a memory for collecting individual light times of flight, and a control and evaluation unit configured to determine a distance value by evaluating the collected individual light times of flight, wherein a readdressing unit is configured to write individual light times of flight to specific addresses of a same uniform memory depending on the assignment of a light time of flight measuring unit to a group, so that the control and evaluation unit can assign the stored individual light times of flight via the address to a group and thus to a distance value.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 11, 2021Publication date: April 14, 2022Inventors: Ulrich ZWÖLFER, Michael ALBERT, Stephan KOLB
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Patent number: 11079479Abstract: Measuring device (1) suited to measure the distance (d) of a reference object (O), configured so that it performs a plurality of measuring operations (Ai) in succession and comprising emission means (2) suited to emit a light radiation (R), receiving means (3) comprising a sensitive area (31) which is sensitive to the light radiation (R) and which is provided with a number M of sensitive units (4), each one of the sensitive units (4) being configured to generate an electrical signal (S), a first processing unit (5) comprising Ne processing elements (6), each one of said Ne processing elements (6) being configured to receive the electrical signal (S) for determining the time of impact (t) of a photon (F) on the sensitive units (4) and for calculating the value of said distance (d).Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2018Date of Patent: August 3, 2021Assignee: FONDAZIONE BRUNO KESSLERInventors: Daniele Perenzoni, David Stoppa, Leonardo Gasparini, Matteo Perenzoni, Nicola Massari, Ulrich Zwölfer, Kai Waslowski, Alexander Bohli, Michael Albert, Friedhelm Wiethege
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Patent number: 11079478Abstract: An optoelectronic sensor (10) for measuring a distance of an object (18) in accordance with a time of flight principle comprises a light transmitter (12) for transmitting a light signal (14), a light receiver (22) for receiving the light signal (20) after reflection or remission by the object (18), the light receiver (22) having a first plurality of pixel elements (24, 24a) each configured as an avalanche photo diode element biased with a bias voltage greater than a breakdown voltage and thus operated in a Geiger mode in order to trigger an avalanche event upon light reception, a distance measuring unit (34) having a second plurality of time of flight measuring units (34a) connected to pixel elements (24a) for determining a time of flight between transmission and reception of a light signal, the second plurality being less than the first plurality, switching means (32, 32a) for connecting selected pixel elements (24a) to time of flight measuring units (34a) in a one-to-one fashion, and a pixel selection unitType: GrantFiled: July 10, 2018Date of Patent: August 3, 2021Assignee: FONDAZIONE BRUNO KESSLERInventors: Daniele Perenzoni, David Stoppa, Leonardo Gasparini, Matteo Perenzoni, Nicola Massari, Ulrich Zwölfer, Kai Waslowski, Alexander Bohli, Michael Albert, Friedhelm Wiethege
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Patent number: 10948575Abstract: An optoelectronic sensor is provided for measuring the distance from an object in a monitored zone that has a light transmitter for transmitting light signals into the monitored zone; a light receiver having at least one avalanche photodiode operated in Geiger mode for receiving the light signals reflected or remitted by the object; an individual time of flight measurement unit for determining an individual time of flight of a light signal from the sensor to the object; and an evaluation unit that is configured to generate a common measured value for the distance from a plurality of individual times of flight.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2018Date of Patent: March 16, 2021Assignee: SICK AGInventors: Stefan Kienzler, Martin Köhl, Kai Waslowski, Ulrich Zwölfer, Christophe Thil
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Patent number: 10877133Abstract: An optoelectronic sensor is provided for measuring the distance from an object in a monitored zone that has a light transmitter for transmitting individual light signals into the monitored zone; a light receiver having at least one avalanche photodiode operated in Geiger mode for receiving the individual light pulses reflected or remitted by the object; an individual time of flight measurement unit for determining an individual time of flight of an individual light pulse as a duration between a transmitted point in time of the respective individual light pulse and its received point in time at the avalanche photodiode; and an evaluation unit that is configured to determine a common measured value for the distance from a plurality of individual times of flight and to estimate how many individual times of flight are to be expected in a time interval on the basis of background events.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2018Date of Patent: December 29, 2020Assignee: SICK AGInventors: Stefan Kienzler, Martin Köhl, Kai Waslowski, Ulrich Zwölfer, Christophe Thil
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Patent number: 10401482Abstract: An optoelectronic sensor for measuring a distance comprises a light transmitter (20) for transmitting a sequence of individual light pulses (22) and a light receiver (26) for receiving the individual light pulses (24). An individual time of flight measuring unit (28) determines a sequence of individual times of flight of the individual light pulses (22, 24) as the duration between a transmission point in time and its reception point in time. An evaluation unit (30, 32) accumulates individual times of flight and determines a common measurement value for the distance from the accumulated individual times of flight. The evaluation unit (30) comprises a filter (36) for accumulating an individual time of flight only if it coincides, within a time window, with a preceding individual time of flight.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2016Date of Patent: September 3, 2019Assignee: SICK AGInventors: Stefan Kienzler, Martin Köhl, Kai Waslowski, Ulrich Zwölfer
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Publication number: 20190018118Abstract: Measuring device (1) suited to measure the distance (d) of a reference object (O), configured so that it performs a plurality of measuring operations (Ai) in succession and comprising emission means (2) suited to emit a light radiation (R), receiving means (3) comprising a sensitive area (31) which is sensitive to the light radiation (R) and which is provided with a number M of sensitive units (4), each one of the sensitive units (4) being configured to generate an electrical signal (S), a first processing unit (5) comprising Ne processing elements (6), each one of said Ne processing elements (6) being configured to receive the electrical signal (S) for determining the time of impact (t) of a photon (F) on the sensitive units (4) and for calculating the value of said distance (d).Type: ApplicationFiled: July 10, 2018Publication date: January 17, 2019Inventors: Daniele PERENZONI, David STOPPA, Leonardo GASPARINI, Matteo PERENZONI, Nicola MASSARI, Ulrich ZWÖLFER, Kai WASLOWSKI, Alexander BOHLI, Michael ALBERT, Friedhelm WIETHEGE
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Publication number: 20190018117Abstract: An optoelectronic sensor (10) for measuring a distance of an object (18) in accordance with a time of flight principle comprises a light transmitter (12) for transmitting a light signal (14), a light receiver (22) for receiving the light signal (20) after reflection or remission by the object (18), the light receiver (22) having a first plurality of pixel elements (24, 24a) each configured as an avalanche photo diode element biased with a bias voltage greater than a breakdown voltage and thus operated in a Geiger mode in order to trigger an avalanche event upon light reception, a distance measuring unit (34) having a second plurality of time of flight measuring units (34a) connected to pixel elements (24a) for determining a time of flight between transmission and reception of a light signal, the second plurality being less than the first plurality, switching means (32, 32a) for connecting selected pixel elements (24a) to time of flight measuring units (34a) in a one-to-one fashion, and a pixel selection unitType: ApplicationFiled: July 10, 2018Publication date: January 17, 2019Inventors: Daniele PERENZONI, David STOPPA, Leonardo GASPARINI, Matteo PERENZONI, Nicola MASSARI, Ulrich ZWÖLFER, Kai WASLOWSKI, Alexander BOHLI, Michael ALBERT, Friedhelm WIETHEGE
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Publication number: 20180372849Abstract: An optoelectronic sensor is provided for measuring the distance from an object in a monitored zone that has a light transmitter for transmitting light signals into the monitored zone; a light receiver having at least one avalanche photodiode operated in Geiger mode for receiving the light signals reflected or remitted by the object; an individual time of flight measurement unit for determining an individual time of flight of a light signal from the sensor to the object; and an evaluation unit that is configured to generate a common measured value for the distance from a plurality of individual times of flight.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 20, 2018Publication date: December 27, 2018Inventors: Stefan KIENZLER, Martin KÖHL, Kai WASLOWSKI, Ulrich ZWÖLFER, Christophe THIL
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Publication number: 20180372851Abstract: An optoelectronic sensor is provided for measuring the distance from an object in a monitored zone that has a light transmitter for transmitting individual light signals into the monitored zone; a light receiver having at least one avalanche photodiode operated in Geiger mode for receiving the individual light pulses reflected or remitted by the object; an individual time of flight measurement unit for determining an individual time of flight of an individual light pulse as a duration between a transmitted point in time of the respective individual light pulse and its received point in time at the avalanche photodiode; and an evaluation unit that is configured to determine a common measured value for the distance from a plurality of individual times of flight and to estimate how many individual times of flight are to be expected in a time interval on the basis of background events.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 20, 2018Publication date: December 27, 2018Inventors: Stefan KIENZLER, Martin KÖHL, Kai WASLOWSKI, Ulrich ZWÖLFER, Christophe THIL
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Publication number: 20180210084Abstract: An optoelectronic sensor for determining the distance of an object having a light transmitter for transmitting a light pulse; having a SPAD light receiver with a measurement reception element and a reference reception element; and having an evaluation unit that is configured to determine a time of flight between the transmission of the light pulse and the reception of the remitted light pulse and from this the distance of the object from the received signals of the measurement reception element and of the reference reception element. The invention further relates to a method of determining an object in a monitored zone.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 22, 2018Publication date: July 26, 2018Inventors: Ulrich ZWÖLFER, Alexander BOHLI, Michael ALBERT
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Patent number: 9989641Abstract: The invention relates to a method of detecting an object in which pulses of transmitted light are repeatedly transmitted into a transmission zone by means of a light source; reception light received from the detection zone is detected by means of a detection apparatus which has a plurality of detectors; and an evaluation zone is defined which comprises a plurality of detectors and within which reception light is incident onto the detectors. The method is characterized in that a plurality of part regions are fixed within the evaluation zone; the part regions are at least partly successively evaluated while using a plurality of consecutive pulses of transmitted light; and the evaluations of the part regions are combined to determine the presence of an object in the detection zone.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2016Date of Patent: June 5, 2018Assignee: SICK AGInventors: Kai Waslowski, Ulrich Zwölfer
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Publication number: 20170184709Abstract: An optoelectronic sensor for measuring a distance comprises a light transmitter (20) for transmitting a sequence of individual light pulses (22) and a light receiver (26) for receiving the individual light pulses (24). An individual time of flight measuring unit (28) determines a sequence of individual times of flight of the individual light pulses (22, 24) as the duration between a transmission point in time and its reception point in time. An evaluation unit (30, 32) accumulates individual times of flight and determines a common measurement value for the distance from the accumulated individual times of flight. The evaluation unit (30) comprises a filter (36) for accumulating an individual time of flight only if it coincides, within a time window, with a preceding individual time of flight.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 4, 2016Publication date: June 29, 2017Inventors: Stefan KIENZLER, Martin KÖHL, Kai WASLOWSKI, Ulrich ZWÖLFER
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Publication number: 20170090029Abstract: The invention relates to a method of detecting an object in which pulses of transmitted light are repeatedly transmitted into a transmission zone by means of a light source; reception light received from the detection zone is detected by means of a detection apparatus which has a plurality of detectors; and an evaluation zone is defined which comprises a plurality of detectors and within which reception light is incident onto the detectors. The method is characterized in that a plurality of part regions are fixed within the evaluation zone; the part regions are at least partly successively evaluated while using a plurality of consecutive pulses of transmitted light; and the evaluations of the part regions are combined to determine the presence of an object in the detection zone.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2016Publication date: March 30, 2017Inventors: Kai WASLOWSKI, Ulrich ZWÖLFER
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Publication number: 20130033617Abstract: A camera system (10) is provided for generating an image presegmented into regions (106a-b) of interest and of no interest, having an evaluation unit (20) which is designed to divide the raw image into part regions (106a-b) to calculate a contrast value for each part region (106a-b) and to decide with reference to the contrast value whether the respective part region (106a-b) is a region of interest (106a) or a region of no interest (106b). In this respect, the evaluation unit (20) has a preprocessing unit (22) which is implemented on an FPGA, which respectively accesses the pixels of a part region (106a-b) and generates summed values (a), b) for the respective part region (106a-b) and has a structure recognition unit (24) which calculates the contrast value of the part region (106a-b) from its summed values (a, b) without accessing pixels of the part region (106a-b).Type: ApplicationFiled: August 1, 2012Publication date: February 7, 2013Applicant: SICK AGInventors: Pascal SCHÜLER, Dietram RINKLIN, Ulrich ZWÖLFER
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Patent number: 7714914Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the correction of the brightness of a raw image generated by a sensor matrix, in which an intensity matching is carried out at picture elements defined by a line coordinate and a column coordinate and at least one intensity value. The intensity matching comprises the application to the intensity values of the picture elements to be corrected of two intensity corrections independent of one another, in dependence on the line coordinate, on the one hand, and in dependence on the column coordinate, on the other hand. The invention furthermore relates to an optoelectronic sensor comprising a correction device. This correction device is matched to carry out the initially described intensity matching.Type: GrantFiled: January 2, 2007Date of Patent: May 11, 2010Assignee: Sick AGInventors: Jürgen Reichenbach, Carl Joseph Hafner, Ulrich Zwölfer
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Patent number: 7667185Abstract: This invention concerns an optoelectronic sensor assembly (10) with at least one light emitter (20) and at least one light receiver (30) comprising a spatially resolving receiving element (40), with the receiving element (40) having an inner region (42) comprising at least one photosensitive element (45) for detecting the light beam (25) and an outer region (44) comprising at least one photosensitive element (46, 47, 48, 49) for determining the position of the light beam (25) emitted by the light emitter (20), with the outer region (44) satisfying lower sensitivity and/or bandwidth requirements than the inner region (42).Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2007Date of Patent: February 23, 2010Assignee: Sick AGInventors: Heinrich Hippenmeyer, Ulrich Zwölfer, Stephan Schmitz
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Publication number: 20080123084Abstract: This invention concerns an optoelectronic sensor assembly (10) with at least one light emitter (20) and at least one light receiver (30) comprising a spatially resolving receiving element (40), with the receiving element (40) having an inner region (42) comprising at least one photosensitive element (45) for detecting the light beam (25) and an outer region (44) comprising at least one photosensitive element (46, 47, 48, 49) for determining the position of the light beam (25) emitted by the light emitter (20), with the outer region (44) satisfying lower sensitivity and/or bandwidth requirements than the inner region (42).Type: ApplicationFiled: October 25, 2007Publication date: May 29, 2008Applicant: SICK AGInventors: Heinrich Hippenmeyer, Ulrich Zwölfer, Stephan Schmitz
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Publication number: 20070170354Abstract: A light grid can be constructed with individual modules (10). Each module (10) is an independent functional transmitter and/or receiver unit in an enclosed housing (12). The modules (10) can be coupled to each other in series in a galvanically separate manner for purposes of energy and/or signal transmission.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 24, 2007Publication date: July 26, 2007Inventors: Stephan Schmitz, Heinrich Hippenmeyer, Ulrich Zwoelfer