METHOD OF DETECTING OBJECTS

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of reliably recognizing an object even under difficult and, in particular dusty, environmental conditions.SOLUTION: A method of detecting an object includes steps of: having a light source repeatedly transmit pulses of transmission light into a detection zone; detecting reception light received from the detection zone using a detection device having a plurality of detectors; defining therein an evaluation zone such that the reception light strikes the plurality of detectors; defining a plurality of sub-zones within the evaluation zone; evaluating at least some of the sub-zones successively using a plurality of consecutive pulses of the transmitted light; and combining the evaluations of the sub-zones to determine the presence/absence of an object in the detection zone.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2 【課題】対応の難しい（特に塵埃の多い）環境条件下であっても確実に物体を認識できる方法を提供する。【解決手段】光源を用いて発信光のパルスが検出領域へ繰り返し送出され、検出領域から受け取った受信光が複数の検出器を有する検出装置で捕らえらるものであって、複数の検出器を含み、その内側で受信光が複数の検出器に当たるような評価領域を定め、その評価領域の内側に複数の部分領域が定められ、複数の互いに相前後する発信光のパルスを用いて複数の部分領域の少なくとも一部が順次評価され、それら部分領域の評価が組み合わされて、検出領域内の物体の有無が確認されることを特徴とする。【選択図】図２