JP2001338283A - Detection area setting method for human body detector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a detection area setting method for human body detector, capable of dealing with all conceivable installation site by utilizing a personal computer(PC) and the screen thereof. SOLUTION: The human body detector is provided with a storage part such as flash memory, and the PC is connected. Then, this device is provided with a display means for fetching image from the human body detector and displaying it on the screen of the PC, a setting means for setting a detection area by the PC and a writing means for writing the set detection area in the storage part of the human body detector.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for setting a detection area in a human body detecting device, and more particularly, to a human body detecting device for detecting the movement of a human body. The present invention relates to a detection area setting method for setting an area required for detection of a human body as a detection area and continuing detection only as an area within the detection area as a necessary area.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when a low-resolution detection sensor is used for detecting a human body, an image array of the sensor is 128 × 128.
= 16384, and processing all of this with a one-chip microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as a microcomputer) has a problem that the load is large and the RAM capacity is insufficient. For this reason, it is necessary to set only a part of the captured image of the image array as the detection area without using it. This detection area needs to be divided into a plurality of areas in order to calculate the captured image after capturing the image, and the microcomputer incorporates software for the processing.

[0003]

However, when the human body detecting device is installed in a bathroom, for example, the shape of the bathroom viewed from a plane differs depending on the installation position of the bathtub or the installation direction of the bathroom door. In addition, it was necessary to prepare a plurality of software so as to be suitable for different locations where bathtub positions were different, and to replace a microcomputer incorporating software for each location. Further, even if various kinds of software are built in the microcomputer, it is necessary to switch the most appropriate software in accordance with the site. Furthermore, there are some construction sites that cannot be dealt with with the software prepared in advance, and such a site cannot be installed immediately, and the problem is that the optimal software must be programmed and the human body detection device must be installed again later. Had.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for setting a detection area of a human body detection device which can be used at any installation site by using a personal computer and its screen.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a method for setting a detection area of a human body detection device according to the present invention is a human body detection device for detecting the motion of a human body, and the detection area of the human body detection device is determined. Display means for providing a storage unit such as a flash memory in a human body detection device, connecting a personal computer, and taking an image from the human body detection device and displaying the image on a screen of the personal computer And a setting means for setting a detection area by a personal computer, and a writing means for writing the set detection area into a storage unit of the human body detection device. According to the first feature, it is not only necessary to replace and switch software for dividing the detection area into a plurality of parts, but also to set the detection area at any installation site.

Further, the method for setting the detection area of the human body detecting device according to the first aspect of the present invention is characterized in that a region dividing means for dividing the detection region of the human body detecting device into two to four regions is provided. Features. According to the second feature, in addition to the above-described features, there is an advantage that the calculation of the captured image can be performed for each area, the calculation speed can be increased, and the area can be set quickly. In the case of five or more divisions, time is required for counting and the like.

Further, the third aspect of the present invention is a method for setting a detection area of a human body detecting device, wherein the human body detecting device is mounted on a ceiling of a bathroom. According to the third feature, in addition to the above-described features, even if the displacement of the human body detecting device occurs, the correction can be easily performed on the screen of the personal computer.

Further, the detection area setting method of the human body detecting device according to the first to third aspects of the present invention is characterized in that the human body detecting device is constituted by a low-resolution imaging device. According to the fourth feature, in addition to the above features, the resolution is low and privacy can be protected, the detection area can be divided quickly, and the calculation for image processing can be performed quickly.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an example in which a human body detection device of the present invention is installed in a bathroom. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the human body detection device and the detection area viewed from the ceiling side according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship between a human body detection device and a detection area in a bathroom having different door positions according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an electric circuit showing one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship between the human body detection device, the heat source device, and the personal computer, and FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration of an image core circuit constituting one pixel of the image detection unit of the human body detection device. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the imaging range, the detection range, and the detection area of the human body detection device.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a method for setting a detection area. FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the setting method.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment in which the human body detecting device of the present invention is attached to a bathroom. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the bathroom 1 as viewed from the side, and schematically shows one embodiment of the present invention. Further, a bathtub 2 and a washing place 3 are provided inside the bathroom 1. 4
Is a door for entering and exiting the bathroom 1. A human body detection device 5 is installed on the ceiling of the bathroom 1. When the bathroom 1 is a system bathroom, it is desirable to attach the bathroom 1 to an inspection port opened on the ceiling for maintenance and inspection. The human body detection device 5 on the ceiling has an imaging device using an artificial retina as described later.

The output of the human body detection device 5 is connected to a bathroom remote control and a kitchen remote control through a signal line (not shown). The remote controller for controlling the water heater, which is a heat source unit, has a display unit such as a lamp for notifying that there is a bather in the bathroom 1, and the human body detection device 5 detects the bather and detects it from the signal line. When a signal is output, the display unit is turned on.

FIG. 4 shows a configuration of a human body detecting device 5 using an artificial retinal chip. The image capturing device 6 detects a human body and processes a detected image. Control device 7 for determining processing information
It is composed of In addition, an infrared sensor (not shown) may be provided in addition to the human body detection device 5 to supplement monitoring when the bathroom 1 is dark.

The image pickup section 8 of the image pickup device 6 has a length of 128 ×
Of the 128-pixel horizontal C-MOS array and the like, the controller 7
32x32 on RAM capacity of microcomputer
An image detection unit 9 including pixels (= 1024 pixels) is provided. With a small number of pixels and a low resolution, privacy can be considered and the calculation speed can be increased. The imaging unit 8 includes an imaging lens 10, a scanner 11, a multiplexer 12, and a scanner drive control unit 1 in addition to the image detection unit 9.
3 is comprised. Each pixel of the image detection unit 9 is represented by monochrome 256 gradations “256 gradations of level 0 (black) to 255 (white)”.

In the image pickup section 8, an image in the bathroom is formed on the image detecting section 9 by the image forming lens 10. The drive of the scanner 11 is controlled by a scanner drive control unit 13, and controls each pixel row of the image detection unit 9 so as to sequentially enter a light receiving state (on state) at regular intervals. Photocurrents simultaneously output from the pixels in one column in the light receiving state are converted from analog data into serial data by the multiplexer 12, amplified by the amplifier 14, and then input to the image processing unit 15. The conversion from analog data to serial data and the like may be performed by an externally provided control unit 7 or an IC provided separately. Each pixel of the image detection unit 9 is configured by a pixel core circuit 17 as shown in FIG. The pixel core circuit 17 includes a light receiving element 18, a charge storage circuit 19, and a sensitivity variable circuit 20. The sensitivity variable terminal 21 and the reset terminal 22 are connected to the scanner 11, and the photocurrent output terminal 23 is connected to the multiplexer 12. ing. FIG.
In, the gain adjustment unit 16 checks the image average value (brightness of the image) in the image processing unit 15, and if the image average value is out of an appropriate range, adjusts the gain of the imaging device 6 with the amplifier 14 and The accumulation time of the image detection unit 9 is adjusted by the scanner drive control unit 13, and the light is adjusted so that an image with appropriate brightness is obtained.

In the imaging device 6 using the artificial retina, the average value of the image is expressed by the gradation (0 gradation (black) to 255 gradation (white)) of all 32 × 32 pixels constituting the image detecting unit 9. 25
(6 gradations) and is represented by a value from 0 to 255. The average value of the image is determined by the gain of the amplifier 14 and the accumulation time of the image detector 9. Here, the gain corresponds to the aperture of the camera, and the accumulation time corresponds to the shutter speed of the camera. Therefore, in order to obtain an appropriate image average value of the imaging device 6, the gain is fixed to an appropriate gain,
The accumulation time may be adjusted. Alternatively, the gain may be adjusted by fixing an appropriate accumulation time. Thereby, although it is a low pixel, it functions like a human eye.

In FIG. 4, at least an image detecting section 9 for performing image capturing and an image processing section 15 for performing image processing.
Is composed of one chip. This chip is called an artificial retinal chip. Also, on the back side of this chip,
A control device 7 is provided, and the control device 7 is configured by a microcomputer. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship among the human body detection device 5, the heat source device 40, and a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a personal computer) 41 for setting a detection area.
In the figure, a power supply for driving the human body detection device 5 is introduced from a heat source device 40 such as a water heater. This eliminates the need for separate electrical wiring. Further, information from the human body detection device 5 is notified to the remote controller 42 of the bathroom 1 as described above. Further, the personal computer 41 and the human body detection device 5 are connected by a connector 43 so as to capture image information from the human body detection device 5, and the captured image is displayed on a display screen 44 of the personal computer 41. It is supposed to.
That is, as shown in FIG. 8, the image captured by the imaging device is taken into the personal computer 41 via the image processing unit 15 and the control device 7 described above, and is displayed on the display screen 44. In the figure, reference numeral 45 denotes a display unit for capturing an image from the human body detection device 5 and displaying the image on a personal computer screen; 46, a setting unit for setting a detection area by dividing a point table for image information processing to be described later with respect to the captured image; 4
Reference numeral 7 denotes a writing unit that writes the set detection area into the storage unit 48 of the control device 7, and each of the units is incorporated in the personal computer 41 as software. As the storage unit 48, for example, a flash memory, an EEP ROM, or the like may be used.

Next, the setting of the imaging range, the detection area, and the detection area by the imaging device 8 will be described. Here, the setting of the detection area is to divide the point table 25 in the microcomputer which is the control device 7 into a plurality of areas for processing the image information input to the image processing unit 15. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, the imaging capability range detectable by the human body detection device 5 (corresponding to the entire point table 25) is divided into a detection area 26 requiring image processing and a non-detection area 27 not performing image processing. Partition into That is, the entire imaging capability range is not set as the detection area. As a result, a part of the detection processing area that can be detected is used as a detection area for actually detecting and processing, thereby limiting the processing range of the image and increasing the speed of the image processing. Specifically, the detection area 26 is sequentially formed from the entrance / exit side of the bathroom in an entrance / exit area (1) 28, an entrance / exit area (2) 29,
It is divided into a plurality of areas of a washing area 30 and a bathtub area 31. At the time of division, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 9, the image of the bathroom is taken in from the human body detection device 5 (step S1). Then, the image is displayed on the display screen of the personal computer (step S2). Next, the user operates the keyboard to specify an area (area) that needs to be detected while viewing the actual actual screen at the site, and divides and sets the detection area (step S3). .
When the setting is completed, the setting result is written from the personal computer 41 to the storage unit 48 of the human body detecting device 5 (Step S).
4), the setting of the detection area ends (step S).
5). Thereafter, the software written and stored in the storage unit 48 divides the detection area into a plurality of areas as an area dividing unit for detecting a human body, and performs image processing for each of the divided areas.

As described above, the software necessary for the image detection processing is written from the outside of the human body detecting device 5 by the personal computer 41 to the microcomputer on the sensor side in accordance with the situation of each site for each site. No more preparing multiple software. Then, the imaging lens 10, the imaging device 6, and the control device 7 constituting the human body detection device 5 are housed in one case, and attached to the ceiling of the bathroom 1 as a human body detection sensor set.

After setting the detection area, the image detected by the image pickup device 6 is subjected to image processing as follows. The image processing unit 15 receives image information from all the pixels constituting the image detecting unit 9 at regular intervals, and issues an image processing command for each area from the control unit 7 via the area dividing unit 24. When receiving the image information at regular intervals, the image processing unit 15 processes the image information for each area and outputs the processed information to the determination means 32 to monitor the movement of the bather.

More specifically, first, the image processing unit 15 calculates the difference (difference) in the amount of received light between the image (previous image) a predetermined time earlier detected by the image detection unit 9 and the current image (current image). I do. Pixels having a positive difference are represented by +, negative pixels are represented by-, and pixels having a difference of 0 are represented by 0. Since the movement of the object can be determined based on the boundary of the image, the movement of the boundary of the image appears as a positive or negative difference there. Thereby, the moving direction of the image boundary is estimated. By looking at the sum of the differences, a rough movement of the person can be grasped.

The above-described analysis method is applied to a two-dimensional image. Specifically, the direction on the pixel is divided into four directions of a vertical direction, a horizontal direction, a diagonally rising rightward, and a diagonally falling rightward. The difference (scalar) between the current image and the previous image may be obtained for each of the four directions, the motion in each direction may be determined from the difference image, and the difference in each direction may be represented as a vector. Then, by averaging the difference vector between the pixel and its surrounding 3 × 3 pixels (optical flow), it is possible to detect the presence or movement of a person in the bathroom.

Next, a description will be given of a determination as to whether or not there is a person in the bathroom 1 or whether or not a change in the amount of light is caused by turning on / off the lighting or sunlight. As shown in FIG. 7, the detection area 26 of the human body detection device 5 is divided into four areas: an entrance / exit area (1) 28, an entrance / exit area (2) 29, a washroom area 30, and a bathtub area 31. The sum of the differences or the amount of motion is detected. The entrance / exit areas (1) and (2) may be combined into one area. Here, the amount of movement is
The average (scalar average) of the scalar amount of the optical flow of each pixel for each region 28, 29, 30, 31;
Or it is the sum of scalar quantities (scalar sum). And
ΔH1 = | the amount of movement in the entrance / exit area (1) −the amount of movement in the entrance / exit area (2) | ΔH2 = | the amount of movement in the entrance / exit area (2) −the amount of movement in the washroom area | ΔH3 = | movement amount in the wash basin area−movement amount in the bathtub area | ΔH4 = | motion amount in the bathtub area−motion amount in the entrance / exit area |, and the difference amounts ΔH1 to ΔH4 are the same. Are simultaneously changed by a predetermined value, it is determined that the change is due to a change in the amount of light due to illumination or the like, not to a motion of a person. On the other hand, if there is a person in any of the above areas,
Since a large change appears only in the motion amount of a part of the area, it is determined that the motion is a person's motion in a specific area. That is, the detection area 2 which is an image detection processing area by the sensor
6 is divided into a plurality of areas, and each of the plurality of divided areas is subjected to the calculation, whereby each change can be determined in response to a change in a different kind (a change in light amount, detection of a human body).

Further, in the present invention, of the detection area 26,
Further, by dividing the entrance / exit area into two, a large change appears from the entrance / exit area (1) to the entrance / exit area (2), so that it is possible to determine that the room is an entrance. Appears, leaving can be determined, and a change in the amount of movement at the time of entering / leaving can be reliably detected.

In particular, the control device 7 constituted by a microcomputer incorporates, as software, each area scanning means for scanning each of the divided entrance / exit areas, so that the image information of each area can be obtained at regular intervals. Can be image-processed, and the amount of motion can be detected for each region, so that image processing can be accelerated.

As for the attachment of the human body detecting device 5, the width of the entrance of the bathroom 1, which is the ceiling of the bathroom 1, and the width of the depth of the washing room as viewed from the entrance, ie, the width of the washing room 3, are determined. It is recommended to install it at the equally divided intersection. This position is an optimal position where a single sensor can monitor the movement of a person in the bathroom from the bathroom door 4 which is the entrance to the washing room 3 to the bathtub 2 in a standard bathroom, and the entrance and exit are detected by the sensor. It is a position that can be accommodated in the area, and is an optimal mounting position where the entrance / exit area (1) 28, the entrance / exit area (2) 29, the washing area 30 and the bathtub area 31 can all be included in the field of view by the area dividing means 24. It is.
In the present invention, even if the human body detection device 5 is shifted left and right, the detection area can be easily adjusted by the personal computer as described above.

In the case of a system bathroom composed of a unit bath or the like, an inspection port for inspection is located on the ceiling of the bathroom, and the human body detecting device 5 is attached to the inspection port which is an inspection lid. It is recommended that Since the inspection opening can be attached and detached, not only the installation and inspection of the human body detection device 5 can be easily performed, but also the condition of the optimal installation position is satisfied.

The above-described embodiment shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this, and various design changes can be made within the scope. For example, in the present embodiment, the system bathroom has been described. However, without being limited to this example, a human body detection device may be installed in a dressing room, a toilet, a corridor, and the detection area may be set from an external personal computer. It can be installed in existing bathrooms other than the system bathroom. Further, the detection area by the human body detection device is divided into four, but may be divided into two or three. For example, it may be divided into an entrance area and another area.

[0028]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a human body detecting apparatus for detecting a movement of a human body, the apparatus comprising: Provided with a region dividing means for dividing the detection region into a plurality of regions, a storage unit such as a flash memory is provided in the human body detection device, a personal computer is connected, and an image is taken from the human body detection device and displayed on the screen of the personal computer. A display means for displaying, a setting means for setting a detection area by a personal computer, and a writing means for writing the set detection area in the storage unit of the human body detecting device are provided, so that the detection area is divided into a plurality of parts. Not only eliminates the need for software replacement and switching, but also allows the detection area to be set at any installation site A. Further, according to the detection area setting method in the human body detection device of the present invention, since the area division means for dividing the detection area by the human body detection apparatus into two to four areas is provided, it is possible to calculate a captured image for each area. Therefore, there is an advantage that the calculation speed can be increased and the area can be set quickly. In the case of five or more divisions, time is required for counting and the like. According to the detection area setting method in the human body detection device of the present invention, since the human body detection device is mounted on the ceiling of the bathroom, even if the human body detection device is misplaced, the correction can be easily performed by the screen of the personal computer. Can be performed. Further, according to the detection area setting method in the human body detection apparatus of the present invention, since the human body detection apparatus is constituted by a low-resolution imaging device, the resolution is low and privacy can be protected, and the division of the detection area can be quickly performed. In addition, calculations for image processing can be performed quickly.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an example in which a human body detection device of the present invention is installed in a bathroom.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a relationship between a human body detection device and a detection area viewed from a ceiling side according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship between a human body detection device and a detection area in bathrooms having different door positions according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an electric circuit showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a relationship among a human body detection device, a heat source device, and a personal computer.

FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration of an image core circuit forming one pixel of an image detection unit of the human body detection device.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a relationship between an imaging range, a detection range, and a detection area of the human body detection device.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a method of setting a detection area.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a setting method.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Bathroom 2 Bathtub 3 Washing place 4 Door 5 Human body detection device 6 Imaging device 7 Control device 9 Image detection part 15 Image processing part 17 Image core circuit 24 Area division means 26 Detection area 28 Doorway area (1) 29 Doorway area (2) Reference Signs List 30 Washing area 31 Bath area 32 Judging means 41 Personal computer 45 Display means 46 Setting means 47 Writing means

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A human body detecting device for detecting a motion of a human body, wherein a region dividing means for dividing a detection area by the human body detecting device into a plurality of regions is provided. Display means for connecting a personal computer, capturing an image from the human body detection device and displaying the image on the screen of the personal computer, setting means for setting a detection area by the personal computer, and storing the set detection area in the human body detection device. And a writing means for writing to a part of the human body detecting device. 2. The detection area of the human body detecting device is 2 to 4
2. The detection area setting method in the human body detection device according to claim 1, further comprising an area dividing unit that divides the area into a plurality of areas. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the human body detecting device is mounted on a ceiling of a bathroom. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the human body detection device comprises a low-resolution imaging device.