Patent ID: 8988527
Filing Date: 2015-03-24
Classification: B25J,F16P

Abstract:
1. A method for monitoring a three-dimensional spatial area for safeguarding an automatically operating installation, the method comprising the steps of: providing a first image recording unit having a first viewing area and providing a second image recording unit having a second viewing area, the first and second viewing areas both being directed to the spatial area in a partially overlapping manner so as to form a common viewing area, defining at least one virtual protection zone within the common viewing area, recording a first image of the spatial area by means of the first image recording unit, and recording a second image of the spatial area by means of the second image recording unit, comparing the first and second images in order to identify disjoint image regions in the first and second images wherein a foreign object is present in one of the first and second images and is not detected in the other of said first and second images, and generating an alarm signal as a function of an identified disjoint image region and the virtual protection zone, wherein the alarm signal is generated whenever a disjoint image region is identified that at least partially obstructs the view of the virtual protection zone by one of the first and second image recording units, and wherein the alarm signal is not generated when the disjoint image region does not obstruct the view of the virtual protection zone.