Opto-electronic sensor and object detection method

摘要

The sensor (10) has a light receiver (28) comprising a group of avalanche photodiode elements (30) for detection of light (24) received from a monitored area (20). Each photodiode element is biased by a bias voltage above a breakdown voltage and operated in a Geiger-mode. A group evaluation unit (36) is connected with the photodiode elements to receive a reception signal, and determines an event as detection of the received light only when a minimum number of the photodiode elements simultaneously generate the reception signal within an allowable time interval.