Patent Publication Number: US-2013248683-A1

Title: Detecting device and method for detecting an edge of transparent material

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a detecting device and a method for detecting an edge of a transparent material, and more specifically, to a detecting device and a method for detecting an edge of a transparent material by level changes of an optical intensity signal. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Because a transparent material has a property of transparency, a light sensor cannot sense the transparent material passing by. Generally speaking, in order to sense the transparent material by the light sensor, an opaque material can be stuck on a side of the transparent material, a shading pattern can be printed in advance, or some special transparent ink capable of shading infrared light can be printed on the transparent material, so as to detect a relative position of the transparent material by the light sensor inside a machine. However, above-mentioned mechanisms need additional process for the transparent material resulting in increase of manufacturing cost and difficulty, so that products with the transparent material as a substrate can not be widely applied in identification. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is to provide a detecting device and a method for detecting an edge of a transparent material to solve above problems. 
     According to the disclosure, a detecting device includes an actuating unit, a light source, a light sensor, a transforming circuit and a processing unit. The actuating unit is for driving a transparent material. The light source is for emitting light to the transparent material driven by the actuating unit. The light sensor is for sensing the light emitted from the light source as an edge of the transparent material is moved to different positions relative to the light source so as to generate a corresponding optical intensity signal. The transforming circuit is coupled to the light sensor for transforming the optical intensity signal into a transforming signal. The processing unit is coupled to the transforming circuit for determining whether the edge of the transparent material is moved to a position between the light source and the light sensor according to the transforming signal transmitted from the transforming circuit. 
     According to the disclosure, the light source is a light emitting diode, and the light sensor is an optical interrupter sensor. 
     According to the disclosure, the light source and the light sensor are disposed at opposite sides of the transparent material. 
     According to the disclosure, the light emitted from the light source is scattered by the edge of the transparent material as the edge of the transparent material is moved to the position between the light source and the light sensor so as to generate the minimum optical intensity signal by the light sensor. 
     According to the disclosure, the light source is a light emitting diode, and the light sensor is an optical reflective sensor. 
     According to the disclosure, the light source and the light sensor are disposed at the same side of the transparent material. 
     According to the disclosure, the light emitted from the light source is scattered by the edge of the transparent material as the edge of the transparent material is moved to the position between the light source and the light sensor so as to generate the maximum optical intensity signal by the light sensor. 
     According to the disclosure, the transforming circuit is for amplifying level changes of the optical intensity signal so as to generate the transforming signal. 
     According to the disclosure, a direction of movement of the transparent material driven by the actuating unit is substantially vertical to a direction of the light emitted from the light source. 
     According to the disclosure, a method for detecting an edge of a transparent material includes following steps: driving the transparent material, a light source emitting light to the transparent material, a light sensor sensing the light emitted from the light source as the transparent material is moved to different positions relative to the light source so as to generate a corresponding optical intensity signal, transforming the optical intensity signal generated by the light sensor into a transforming signal, and determining whether the edge of the transparent material is moved to a position between the light source and the light sensor according to the transforming signal. 
     The detecting device and the detecting method of the present invention can utilize the light sensor and the transforming circuit to detect and locate the edge of the transparent material directly for following locating procedure. There is no need to execute additional process on the transparent material to achieve the purpose of sensing the transparent material by the light sensor. As a result, the manufacturing cost and difficulty can be reduced, and products with the transparent material as a substrate can be widely applied in identification. 
     These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram of a detecting device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a flowchart of the detecting device detecting an edge of a transparent material according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  to  FIG. 5  are respectively diagrams of a light source, a light sensor and the transparent material in different positions according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram of a transforming circuit transforming an optical intensity signal into a transforming signal according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  to  FIG. 9  are respectively diagrams of the light source, the light sensor and the transparent material in different positions according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 1  is a diagram of a detecting device  50  according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The detecting device  50  is for detecting a position of an edge  521  of a transparent material  52  as a basis for locating. For example, the transparent material  52  can be a transparent card. As the detecting device  50  detects the transparent card, it can continue to print the card or read data of the card. For example, an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) with the detecting device  50  is capable of detecting the transparent card passing by, and then actuating a function of reading the card. The detecting device  50  includes an actuating unit  54  for driving the transparent material  52  to move in a X-direction. The detecting device  50  further includes a light source  56  for emitting light in a Y-direction to the transparent material  52  driven by the actuating unit  54 . A direction (X-direction) of movement of the transparent material  52  driven by the actuating unit  54  can be substantially vertical to a direction (Y-direction) of the light emitted from the light source  56 , and the light source  56  can be a light emitting diode. 
     The detecting device  50  further includes alight sensor  58  for sensing the light emitted from the light source  56  as the edge  521  of the transparent material  521  is moved to different positions relative to the light source  56 , so as to generate a corresponding optical intensity signal. The light sensor  58  can be an optical interrupter sensor or an optical reflective sensor. In addition, the detecting device  50  further includes a transforming circuit  60  coupled to the light sensor  58  for transforming the optical intensity signal generated by the light sensor  58  into a transforming signal, such as transforming an analog signal into a recognizable digital signal. For example, level changes of the optical intensity signal generated by the light sensor  58  are weak, so the transforming circuit  60  can be utilized for amplifying the level changes of the optical intensity signal so as to generate the transforming signal. Furthermore, the detecting device  50  further includes a processing unit  62  coupled to the transforming circuit  60  for determining whether the edge  521  of the transparent material  52  is moved to a position between the light source  56  and the light sensor  58  according to the transforming signal transmitted from the transforming circuit  60 . 
     Please refer to  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 2  is a flowchart of the detecting device  50  detecting the edge  521  of the transparent material  52  according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The method includes following steps: 
     Step  100 : The actuating unit  54  drives the transparent material  52  to move in the X direction. 
     Step  102 : The light source  56  emits the light in the Y direction to the transparent material  52  driven by the actuating unit  54 . 
     Step  104 : The light sensor  58  senses the light emitted from the light source  56  as the edge  521  of the transparent material  52  is moved to different positions relative to the light source  56  so as to generate the corresponding optical intensity signal. 
     Step  106 : The transforming circuit  60  transforms the optical intensity signal generated by the light sensor  58  into the transforming signal. 
     Step  108 : The processing unit  62  determines whether the edge  521  of the transparent material  52  is moved to the position between the light source  56  and the light sensor  58  according to the transforming signal transmitted from the transforming circuit  60 . 
     Step  110 : The end. 
     Detail description of above procedure is described herein. As the light sensor  58  is an optical interrupter sensor, the light source  56  and the light sensor  58  can be disposed at opposite sides of the transparent material  52 . Please refer to  FIG. 3  to  FIG. 5 .  FIG. 3  to  FIG. 5  are respectively diagrams of the light source  56 , the light sensor  58  and the transparent material  52  in different positions according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The actuating unit  54  can drive the transparent material  52  to move in the X direction so that the transparent material  52  can pass between the light source  56  and the light sensor  58 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , as the transparent material  52  has not been moved to the position between the light source  56  and the light sensor  58 , the light emitted from the light source  56  can totally be sensed by the light sensor  58 , which means that the light sensor  58  senses stronger light, so as to generate the stronger optical intensity signal. As shown in  FIG. 4 , as the edge  521  of the transparent material  52  is moved to the position between the light source  56  and the light sensor  58 , because the edge  521  of the transparent material  52  is uneven and the light travels through the interface between different media, the light emitted from the light source  56  will scatter in other directions. As a result, the light sensor  58  senses weak light so as to generate a minimum optical intensity signal, and therefore it can be a basis for determining the edge  521  of the transparent material  52  is moved to the position between the light source  56  and the light sensor  58 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , as the edge  521  of the transparent material  52  has passed through the position between the light source  56  and the light sensor  58  and the transparent material  52  itself is disposed between the light source  56  and the light sensor  58 , because the transparent material  52  has a property of transparency, the light emitted from the light source  56  can totally penetrate the transparent material  52  and be sensed by the light sensor  58 . That is, the light sensor  58  senses stronger light so as to generate the stronger optical intensity signal. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 6 .  FIG. 6  is a diagram of the transforming circuit  60  transforming the optical intensity signal into the transforming signal according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Because the level changes of the optical intensity signal generated by the light sensor  58  are weak, in order to increase accuracy of determination, the transforming circuit  60  can be utilized for amplifying the level changes of the optical intensity signal so as to generate the transforming signal. And then the processing unit  62  can determine whether the edge  521  of the transparent material  52  is moved to the position between the light source  56  and the light sensor  58  according to the transforming signal transmitted from the transforming circuit  60 . That is because the edge  521  of the transparent material  52  is uneven and the light travels through the interface between different media, the light emitted from the light source  56  will scatter in other directions. As a result, the light sensor  58  senses weak light so as to generate the minimum optical intensity signal. Therefore a position of the edge  521  of the transparent material  52  can be obtained according to a waveform of the level changes of the transforming signal. For example, a wave trough of the waveform corresponds the position of the edge  521  of the transparent material  52 , and it can be a basis for determining the edge  521  of the transparent material  52  is moved to the position between the light source  56  and the light sensor  58 . 
     Moreover, the light sensor  58  of the present invention can selectively be an optical reflective sensor. Please refer to  FIG. 7  to  FIG. 9 .  FIG. 7  to  FIG. 9  are respectively diagrams of the light source  56 , the light sensor  58  and the transparent material  52  in different positions according to another embodiment of the present invention. The difference between this embodiment and the previous one is that the light source  56  and the light sensor  58  are both disposed at the same side of the transparent material  52  in this embodiment. As shown in  FIG. 7 , as the transparent material  52  has not been moved to the position between the light source  56  and the light sensor  58 , the light emitted from the light source  56  totally cannot be sensed by the light sensor  58 , which means that the light sensor  58  senses weaker light so as to generate a weaker optical intensity signal. As shown in  FIG. 8 , as the edge  521  of the transparent material  52  is moved to the position between the light source  56  and the light sensor  58 , because the edge  521  of the transparent material  52  is uneven and the light travels through the interface between different media, the light emitted from the light source  56  will scatter in other directions. As a result, the light sensor  58  can sense the scattering light so as to generate a maximum optical intensity signal, and therefore it can be a basis for determining the edge  521  of the transparent material  52  is moved to the position between the light source  56  and the light sensor  58 . As shown in  FIG. 9 , as the edge  521  of the transparent material  52  has passed through the position between the light source  56  and the light sensor  58 , and the transparent material  52  itself is disposed between the light source  56  and the light sensor  58 , because the transparent material  52  has a property of transparency, the light emitted from the light source  56  can totally penetrate the transparent material  52  and cannot be sensed by the light sensor  58 . That is, the light sensor  58  senses weaker light so as to generate the weaker optical intensity signal. As for the operational principle of the transforming circuit  60  and the processing unit  62  is similar to the previous embodiment and is omitted herein for simplicity. Furthermore, the positions and amounts of the light source  56  and the light sensor  58  are not limited to above embodiments. For example, the present invention can include multiple sets of light sources and light sensors, and those components can be disposed at two ends of a travelling path of the transparent material  52  respectively, so as to locate the transparent material  52  more accurately, and it depends on practical design demand. 
     In contrast to the prior art, the detecting device and the detecting method of the present invention can utilize the light sensor and the transforming circuit to detect and locate the edge of the transparent material directly for following locating procedure. There is no need to execute additional process on the transparent material to achieve the purpose of sensing the transparent material by the light sensor. As a result, the manufacturing cost and difficulty can be reduced, and products with the transparent material as a substrate can be widely applied in identification. 
     Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.