Patent ID: 8059263

Claim:
An apparatus ( 10 ) for the recognition of the presence of an object ( 110 ) in space ( 100 ) in accordance with the pulsed time-of-flight method having a pulsed laser ( 20 ) which transmits light pulses into the space ( 100 ) in a controlled manner, having a photoreceiver arrangement ( 40 ) which receives the light pulses reflected back from the object ( 110 ) present in the space, having an evaluation circuit which determines a distance signal characteristic for the distance (d) of the object ( 110 ) from the pulsed laser ( 20 ) from the time (t) between the transmission and the reception of a light pulse, and having a first light deflection apparatus ( 50 ) which outputs a first angular position signal representative of its instantaneous angular position to the evaluation circuit, wherein the first light deflection apparatus ( 50 ) is arranged rotatably or pivotably about a first axis of rotation ( 90 ) and is made for the transmission of light pulses following one another at changing angles in a first plane ( 95 ), characterized in that a second light deflection apparatus ( 60 ) is arranged between the first light deflection apparatus ( 50 ) and an energy supply of the first light deflection apparatus ( 50 ) which outputs a second angular position signal representative of its instantaneous angular position to the evaluation circuit and which has a deflection plate ( 62 ) which is arranged rotatably or pivotably about a second axis of rotation ( 92 ) and which is made for the changing of the angular position of the first plane ( 95 ), with the evaluation circuit determining the position of the object ( 110 ) in the space ( 100 ) from the first angular position signal, the second angular position signal and the distance signal, and with the apparatus ( 10 ) being arranged in a housing ( 140 ) having a window ( 142 ).