Patent ID: 7639373
Filing Date: 2009-12-29
Classification: G01B

Abstract:
1. An optical displacement sensor comprising: a light projection unit for directing projected light to a target object; a light reception unit comprising two or more light reception elements arranged in a linear shape for receiving light reflected by said target object out of said projected light and outputting signals corresponding to the amount of received light; a received-light-spot detection unit for detecting a received-light spot on said light reception unit, on the basis of the outputs of said respective light reception elements; a number-of-spots determination unit for determining the number of said received-light spots, on the basis of the received-light spot detected by said received-light-spot detection means; a spot-position determination unit capable of determining a one-dimensional position of said received-light spot corresponding to an amount of displacement of said target object on the basis of the result of the detection by said received-light-spot detection unit; and an object detection unit for determining the presence or absence of said target object on the basis of (a) the number of said received-light spots determined by said number-of-spots determination unit and (b) the one-dimensional position of said received-light spot determined by said spot-position determination unit, and outputting detection signals indicative of the result of the determination of the presence or absence of said target object.