JP2002005747A - Processing method for temperature distribution data - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To accurately estimate the position of a specific portion of the face in a temperature distribution map when detecting the temperatures of the face and the surrounding of the face with a noncontact temperature sensor. SOLUTION: The temperature distribution map of the face M3 and the surrounding of the face is generated based on many temperature data detected by the noncontact temperature sensor 20, and positions on the face M3 in the temperature distribution map are estimated based on the temperature distribution map. In consideration of the fact that the temperatures of eyes or the mouth are changed in a prescribed temperature range, the position of the specific portion (eyes or mouth or the like) is estimated based on the temperature change of the estimated position on the face M3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a method of processing temperature distribution data detected by a non-contact temperature sensor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A non-contact temperature sensor is used, for example, in a vehicle air conditioner to obtain temperature distribution data in a passenger compartment. In the conventional vehicle air conditioner, the temperature of the occupant's face and the surrounding area is detected by an infrared sensor (non-contact temperature sensor) in which a large number of temperature detecting elements are arranged in a matrix, and a temperature distribution map is formed. The air conditioning control is performed based on the face temperature.

[0003] Further, since there is a strong correlation between the cheek skin temperature and the occupant's sense of warmth, there is also known an air conditioner that controls air conditioning based on the cheek temperature.

[0004]

However, since the position and orientation of the face are not constant, it is difficult to accurately estimate the position of a specific part (eg, cheek) of the face in the temperature distribution map. there were.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and has as its object to enable accurate estimation of the position of a specific part of a face in a temperature distribution map.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a face (M3) and a temperature around the face (M3) are provided with a large number of temperature detecting elements. A face (M3) and a temperature distribution map around the face (M3) are created based on a large number of temperature data detected by the non-contact temperature sensor (20) and detected by the non-contact temperature sensor (20). Then, the position of the face (M3) in the temperature distribution map is estimated based on the temperature distribution map, and the face (M3) is estimated based on the temperature change of the estimated position of the face (M3).
It is characterized in that the position of the specific part in 3) is estimated.

[0007] Thus, for example, focusing on the point that the temperature of the eyes and mouth fluctuates in a predetermined temperature range, the position of a specific part (such as eyes and mouth) is estimated based on the estimated temperature change of the position of the face. Therefore, the position of the specific portion of the face in the temperature distribution map can be accurately estimated.

[0008] In the invention according to claim 2, the face (M3)
And the temperature around the face (M3) is detected by a non-contact temperature sensor (20) having a number of temperature detecting elements,
A face (M3) and a temperature distribution map around the face (M3) are created based on a large number of temperature data detected by the non-contact temperature sensor (20), and a temperature distribution map is created based on the temperature distribution map. The position of the face (M3) within the face (M3) is estimated, and the position of the specific part in the face (M3) is estimated based on the estimated temperature distribution of the position of the face (M3).

Thus, for example, paying attention to the fact that the temperature of the nose is lower than the average temperature of the face and is substantially constant, based on the estimated temperature distribution of the position of the face, the specific part (nose, etc.) , The position of the specific part of the face in the temperature distribution map can be accurately estimated.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the face (M3)
Is characterized in that a portion where the temperature changes in the upper area of the temperature distribution map is estimated as an eye position.

Thus, the area in the temperature distribution map is narrowed down, and the position of the eye is estimated based on the temperature change in the area. Therefore, the position of the eye in the temperature distribution map can be more accurately estimated. .

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the position of the cheek in the temperature distribution map is estimated from the estimated eye position.

Thus, since the position of the eye accurately estimated by the third aspect of the present invention is used as a reference, the position of the cheek in the temperature distribution map can be accurately estimated.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the face (M3)
Is characterized by estimating a part where the temperature changes in the lower area of the temperature distribution map as the position of the mouth.

Thus, since the area in the temperature distribution map is narrowed down and the position of the mouth is estimated based on the temperature change in the area, the position of the mouth in the temperature distribution map can be more accurately estimated. .

The invention according to claim 6 is characterized in that the position of the cheek in the temperature distribution map is estimated from the estimated position of the mouth.

Thus, the position of the cheek in the temperature distribution map can be accurately estimated because the position of the mouth accurately estimated by the invention described in claim 5 is used as a reference.

In the invention according to claim 7, the face part (M3)
Is characterized by estimating a low-temperature part in the temperature distribution map of the face (M3) substantially at the center of the temperature distribution map of FIG.

Thus, the area in the temperature distribution map is narrowed down, and the nose position is estimated based on the temperature distribution in the area. Therefore, the nose position in the temperature distribution map can be more accurately estimated. .

The invention according to claim 8 is characterized in that the position of the cheek in the temperature distribution map is estimated from the estimated position of the nose.

Accordingly, since the position of the nose accurately estimated by the invention of claim 7 is used as a reference, the position of the cheek in the temperature distribution map can be accurately estimated.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, a portion where the temperature data of (Tp−2 ° C.) to Tp is continuous with respect to the temperature Tp of the hottest portion at the estimated position of the face (M3). It can be estimated as the range of the face (M3).

According to the tenth aspect of the invention, the range of the estimated face (M3) is divided into three equal parts in the left-right direction, and the right and left parts of the three equal parts (a, b, c) are divided. (A, c)
Can be estimated as the position of the cheek.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the movement of a high-temperature object having a temperature higher than the skin temperature and a movement of a low-temperature object having a temperature lower than the skin temperature are detected based on the temperature distribution map. By moving the object, the face (M
3) and the position of the specific part is estimated.

Thus, the position of the face and the mouth can be more accurately estimated by using the estimation based on the high and low temperature object.

Note that the reference numerals in parentheses of the above means indicate the correspondence with specific means described in the embodiments described later.

[0027]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS (First Embodiment) A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 shows a vehicle 1
0, a non-contact temperature sensor 2 for detecting a driver (occupant) M and the surrounding surface temperature in a non-contact manner.
0 is installed on the ceiling 12 near the rear-view mirror 11 so as to detect the temperature diagonally from the front of the driver M.

FIG. 2 shows a detection area 30 of the surface temperature by the non-contact temperature sensor 20. The detection area 30 includes the upper body (clothes) M1, the head M2, the face M3, A seat 13 is included.

The non-contact temperature sensor 20 has a large number of temperature detecting elements arranged in a matrix, and
As shown in (1), the surface temperature detection region 30 by the non-contact temperature sensor 20 is divided into a large number of pixels, and the temperature is detected for each pixel.

The non-contact temperature sensor 20 is an infrared sensor that generates an electric signal (surface temperature signal) in accordance with the amount of infrared radiation radiated from the temperature object to be measured. This is an infrared sensor using a thermopile-type temperature detecting element that generates an electromotive force proportional to the amount of infrared rays from the infrared ray.

The signal processing circuit 50 shown in FIG. 4 processes the output signal of the non-contact temperature sensor 20 to obtain a temperature distribution map of the detection area 30 as shown in FIG. However, in FIG. 3, the temperature distribution is shown for each temperature region for convenience. However, in practice, the temperature data of each pixel is digitized and stored, and an operation or the like is performed based on the digitized temperature data. Done.
The control circuit 60 controls the temperature data from the signal processing circuit 50,
The operation of the vehicle air conditioner 61 is controlled based on and other signals.

FIG. 5 shows a state in which the air temperature in the vehicle compartment is controlled to about 25 ° C. and the driver M is not exposed to solar radiation.
It shows an example of the skin temperature of the head M2 and the face M3 of the driver M. The average of the face M3 excluding the eyes, mouth and nose is about 33 ° C.

The temperature of the eyes in the face M3 is about 32 ° C., about 1 ° C. lower than the average temperature of the face M3 when the eyes are opened, and about 33 ° which is equivalent to the average temperature of the face M3 when the eyes are closed. ° C
Therefore, the temperature of the eye part changes according to the blink. FIG. 3 is a temperature distribution map when the eyes are opened.

The temperature of the mouth is about 34 ° C. when the mouth is open, and about 33 ° C. which is equivalent to the average temperature of the face M3 when the mouth is closed. FIG. 3 is a temperature distribution map when the mouth is opened, and the temperature of the mouth is the highest.
Furthermore, the temperature of the nose is about 1 ° C. lower than the average temperature of the face M3.
Low, approximately constant at about 32 ° C.

Next, the processing of the output signal of the non-contact temperature sensor 20 performed by the signal processing circuit 50 will be described.

First, the output signal (temperature data) of the non-contact temperature sensor 20 is processed and the detection area 30 shown in FIG.
And a position of the face M3 in the temperature distribution map is estimated based on the temperature distribution map.
Here, the face M3, which is the skin-exposed portion, has the highest temperature in the detection area 30 except when the internal temperature is extremely high, such as during cool-down in summer. Therefore, the vicinity of a portion where a plurality of high-temperature pixels are concentrated in the temperature distribution map of FIG. 3 is determined as the pixel position of the face M3.

Next, the position of the specific part in the face M3 is estimated. First, the eye position is estimated as follows. FIG.
As shown, the eye temperature changes between about 32 ° C. and about 33 ° C. due to blinking. Therefore, the already estimated face M
In the upper area of the temperature distribution map of No. 3, a portion where the temperature periodically rises to about 33 ° C. from about 32 ° C. is determined as an eye pixel position.

The position of the mouth is estimated as follows. As shown in FIG. 5, the temperature of the mouth is about 34 ° C. when the mouth is open and about 33 ° C. when the mouth is closed. Therefore, in the lower area of the temperature distribution map of the face M3 already estimated, a portion where the temperature fluctuates between about 33 ° C. to 34 ° C. is determined as the pixel position of the mouth.

Further, the position of the nose is estimated as follows. As shown in FIG. 5, the temperature of the nose is lower than the average temperature of the face M3, and is substantially constant at about 32 ° C. Therefore, a portion where the temperature becomes substantially constant at about 32 ° C. in the approximately central portion in the vertical direction of the temperature distribution map of the face portion M3 that has been already estimated is determined as the pixel position of the nose.

Further, the eye estimated as described above,
From the positional relationship between the mouth and nose, the position of the cheek is estimated by one of the following.

For example, in the estimated pixel position of the face M3, a portion located below the eyes is determined to be a cheek pixel position. Alternatively, within the estimated pixel position of the face M3, the portions located on the left and right of the nose are determined as the cheek pixel positions. Further, a portion located above the mouth in the estimated pixel position of the face M3 is determined as a cheek pixel position. Further, in the estimated pixel position of the face M3, a portion located between the eyes and the mouth and on the left and right sides of the nose may be determined to be a cheek pixel position.

Next, as described above, the signal processing circuit 50 outputs the face M3 or a specific portion (eye, mouth, nose,
After estimating the pixel position of the cheek, the average temperature data of the face M3 and the temperature data of a specific part in the face M3 are supplied to the control circuit 60.
Send to

Then, the control circuit 60 adjusts the blowing direction of the conditioned air, the blowing air volume, the blowing temperature, and the like based on the temperature data and the like.

According to the present embodiment, the face M3 is estimated by paying attention to the fact that the temperature of the eyes and the mouth fluctuates within a predetermined temperature range.
Since the position of the eye or the mouth is estimated based on the temperature change of the position, the position of the eye or the mouth in the temperature distribution map can be accurately estimated.

The nose temperature is lower than the average temperature of the face M3 and is substantially constant.
Since the position of the nose is estimated based on the temperature distribution at the position No. 3, it is possible to accurately estimate the position of the nose in the temperature distribution map.

The eyes, mouths,
Since the position of the cheek is estimated from the positional relationship of the nose, the position of the cheek in the temperature distribution map can be accurately estimated.

(Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment only in the method of estimating the position of the cheek in the temperature distribution map, and the other points are the same as the first embodiment.

In this embodiment, the vicinity of a portion where a plurality of high-temperature pixels are concentrated in the temperature distribution map is determined as the pixel position of the face M3. Temperature data of the hottest part in the vicinity (near the face position) is read, and the temperature of the hottest part is set as the peak temperature Tp. Then, a region where the temperature data of (Tp−2 ° C.) to Tp is continuous is estimated as the range of the face M3. The hatched portion in FIG. 6 is the range of the face M3 estimated as described above.

Next, the estimated range of the face portion M3 is divided into three equal parts as indicated by reference numerals a, b, and c, and the left and right parts a, c of the three equal parts are defined as the cheek positions. presume.

(Other Embodiments) When it is determined based on the temperature distribution map that a high-temperature object having a temperature higher than the skin temperature has moved within the detection area 30, the high-temperature object is estimated to be a cigarette or a hot drink. From the position of the hot object, the position of the face M3 in the temperature distribution map or the position of the mouth can be estimated. When it is determined that a low-temperature object whose temperature is lower than the skin temperature has moved within the detection area 30, the low-temperature object is estimated to be ice or a cold drink, and the position of the low-temperature object in the temperature distribution map is determined. The position of the face M3 or the position of the mouth can be estimated. The position of the face M3 and the position of the mouth can be more accurately estimated by using the estimation method using the high and low temperature object and the estimation method described in each of the above embodiments in combination.

In the above embodiment, an infrared sensor using a thermopile type detecting element is exemplified as the non-contact temperature sensor. However, an infrared sensor using a bolometer type detecting element formed of a resistor having a large temperature coefficient, and other infrared sensors. An infrared sensor of the type can also be used. Furthermore, not limited to the infrared sensor, another type of non-contact temperature sensor that detects the surface temperature of the test object in a non-contact manner may be used.

In the above embodiment, the non-contact temperature sensor 20 is arranged on the ceiling 12 near the rearview mirror 11,
Although the temperature was detected obliquely from the front of the driver M, the non-contact temperature sensor 20 was disposed near the center of the ceiling 12 in the vehicle front-rear direction and the width direction, and the temperature was detected substantially right beside the driver M. You may.

The non-contact temperature sensor 20 is connected to the ceiling 12.
At a position near the center of the vehicle width direction and a little forward of the side of the driver M, one side of the face M3 of the driver M directly detects the temperature, and the other side of the face M3 is Observation may be performed using reflection of the window glass.

The temperature of the driver M may be detected by disposing the non-contact temperature sensor 20 on the A-pillar on the passenger seat side.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle interior showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a temperature detection area of the non-contact temperature sensor of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a temperature distribution diagram of a region where a temperature is detected by the non-contact temperature sensor of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle air conditioner including the non-contact temperature sensor of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a characteristic diagram showing the temperature of each part of the occupant.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a temperature detection region of a non-contact temperature sensor, which is used for describing a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 20: Non-contact temperature sensor, M3: Face.

Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Katsumasa Nishii 1-1-1, Showa-cho, Kariya-shi, Aichi Prefecture Inside Denso Corporation (72) Inventor Takamasa Kawai 1-1-1, Showa-cho, Kariya City, Aichi Prefecture F-term in Denso Corporation (Reference) 2G066 AC13 BA08 BC07 BC15 CA02 CA11

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A non-contact temperature sensor (20) having a plurality of temperature detecting elements and detecting a temperature of a face (M3) and a surrounding area of the face (M3). The face part (M3) and this face part (M)
3) creating a surrounding temperature distribution map, estimating the position of the face (M3) in the temperature distribution map based on the temperature distribution map, and calculating the estimated position of the face (M3). A method for processing temperature distribution data, comprising estimating a position of a specific part in the face part (M3) based on a temperature change. 2. A non-contact temperature sensor (20) having a plurality of temperature detecting elements and detecting a temperature of the face (M3) and a surrounding temperature of the face (M3). The face part (M3) and this face part (M)
3) creating a surrounding temperature distribution map, estimating the position of the face (M3) in the temperature distribution map based on the temperature distribution map, and calculating the estimated position of the face (M3). A method for processing temperature distribution data, comprising estimating a position of a specific part in the face part (M3) based on a temperature distribution. 3. The temperature distribution data processing method according to claim 1, wherein a portion where the temperature changes in an upper area of the temperature distribution map of the face portion (M3) is estimated as an eye position. 4. The method according to claim 3, wherein a position of a cheek in the temperature distribution map is estimated from the estimated position of the eye. 5. The temperature distribution data processing method according to claim 1, wherein a portion where the temperature changes in a lower area of the temperature distribution map of the face (M3) is estimated as a position of the mouth. 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the position of the cheek in the temperature distribution map is estimated from the estimated position of the mouth. 7. A nose position is estimated at a substantially low temperature part in the temperature distribution map of the face (M3), which is located substantially at the center of the temperature distribution map of the face (M3). The method for processing temperature distribution data according to claim 2. 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein a position of a cheek in the temperature distribution map is estimated from the estimated position of the nose. 9. An estimated position (Tp-2 ° C.) based on the temperature Tp of the hottest part at the position of the face part (M3).
To Tp are referred to as the face (M
The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the range is estimated as (3). 10. The estimated area of the face (M3) is divided into three equal parts in the left-right direction, and the three equal parts (a, b, c)
The method for processing temperature distribution data according to claim 9, wherein the left and right parts (a, c) are estimated as cheek positions. 11. A movement of a high-temperature object having a temperature higher than the skin temperature and a movement of a low-temperature object having a temperature lower than the skin temperature are detected based on the temperature distribution map, and the movement of the high-temperature object and the low-temperature object is detected. The method of processing temperature distribution data according to claim 1, wherein the position of the face part (M 3) and the specific part are estimated.