Patent ID: 7391007

Claim:
A method for the detection of an object, comprising: transmitting light in the direction of a reflector ( 2 ) using a transmitter ( 1 ); reflecting the transmitted light at the reflector ( 2 ); imaging the reflected transmitted light as a reflector image ( 11 ) on a detection region of a receiver ( 9 ) with at least one-dimensional spatial resolution, wherein the reflector image is detected by said receiver; evaluating the detected reflector image; generating an object detection signal when an at least partial interruption of the transmitted light is recognized based on the evaluation of the detected reflector image; detecting a light object incident onto the receiver ( 9 ) outside of a detection region ( 23 ) using said receiver; examining the light object for predetermined object properties; classifying the light object as one of a reflector image and an interfering light object based on the object properties determined; and in the case of a classification as an interfering light object, determining a movement of the interfering light object on the receiver ( 9 ), wherein the generation of the object detection signal is carried out in dependence on the determined movement of the interfering light object.