JPH0518825A - Measuring apparatus for temperature distribution and detecting system for human body using same - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To measure a radiation temperature distribution and to enable the presence or absence of persons in an apparatus room, the number of the persons, the amount of activity, etc., to be detected by making a pyroelectric type array sensor operate while driving it to rotate. CONSTITUTION:An infrared array sensor 1 detecting infrared rays, a condenser means 2 for condensing the infrared rays, a chopper means 3 intercepting intermittently the infrared rays entering the infrared array sensor 1, a rotary element 4 holding these means integrally, and a stepping motor 5 rotating the rotary element 4, are provided. After measurement is executed in a prescribed facing direction, forward rotation at a fixed angle in one step is made by the stepping motor 5 and the measurement is repeated sequentially. After the measurement in the last facing direction is completed, the stepping motor 5 is driven reversely by the steps for rotation taken theretofore, the rotation is thereby made reversely to the initial facing direction and an apparatus is put in a state of standby for subsequent measurement.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a temperature distribution measuring device using a pyroelectric infrared sensor and a human body detecting system using the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in security and air conditioning control, there is an increasing demand for measuring the temperature distribution in a room in order to detect the presence or absence of a person in the room and the amount of activity.

Conventionally, a method for obtaining a spatial temperature distribution using a pyroelectric sensor is known as a device for measuring a spatial temperature distribution using infrared rays. For example, JP-A 64-88
391, JP-A-57-185695, JP-A-2-183.
752, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-196932, etc., a single pyroelectric sensor is used to mechanically scan in the vertical and horizontal directions to detect the input energy in each direction, and A method for obtaining a distribution is known.

[0004]

However, the one using the pyroelectric sensor has a problem that the spatial resolution and the temperature resolution are low due to the problem that the sensor sensitivity is low and the complexity of the mechanism and the complexity of the signal processing. .

In consideration of the above-mentioned problems of the conventional method for measuring the spatial temperature distribution, the present invention uses an infrared array sensor of a pyroelectric sensor to provide a low-cost, compact and highly reliable temperature distribution measuring device. The object is to provide a human body detection system using the same.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is an infrared array sensor having a plurality of detecting portions for detecting infrared rays arranged in an array, a condensing means for condensing infrared rays on the infrared array sensor, and the infrared rays. A temperature distribution measuring device comprising: a chopper means for intermittently blocking infrared rays incident on the array sensor; and a rotatable rotating portion holding the infrared array sensor, the condensing means and the chopper means. is there.

Further, the present invention measures the radiation temperature distribution by the temperature distribution measuring device of the present invention, and based on the measured value, the number of people in the room or the time-dependent change value of the intake temperature distribution is used to determine the activity amount of the occupant. It is a human body detection system having means for qualitatively judging.

Further, according to the present invention, an infrared array sensor having a plurality of detecting portions arranged in an array, a chopper means for intermittently blocking infrared rays incident on the infrared array sensor, and a facing direction of the infrared array sensor. Is provided with a stepping motor that rotates in a stepwise manner, and after measuring the output of each of the detection units in a predetermined facing direction, the stepping motor rotates forward by one step for a fixed angle, and the measurement is sequentially repeated in the final facing direction. On the other hand, after the measurement is completed,
This is a temperature distribution measuring device in which the stepping motor reversely rotates to the initial facing direction.

[0009]

According to the present invention, the infrared array sensor detects the infrared light collected by the light collecting means for collecting the infrared light, and the chopper means interrupts the infrared light incident on the infrared array sensor intermittently. The infrared array sensor, the focusing means and the chopper means are rotated.

Further, according to the present invention, after measuring the output of each detecting section in a predetermined facing direction, the stepping motor for rotating the facing direction of the infrared array sensor stepwise,
One step forward rotation is performed by a fixed angle, and such measurement is repeated sequentially. After the measurement is completed with respect to the final facing direction, the temperature is measured by rotating the stepping motor backward until the initial facing direction.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic structure for explaining an embodiment of the present invention, in which a rotating portion 4 has a light receiving portion 8.
A pyroelectric infrared array sensor 1 provided in individual lines (vertical) and a silicon infrared lens 2 for converging infrared rays on the pyroelectric sensor array are provided on the front surface of the array sensor 1.
Further, in front of the lens 2, there is provided a chopper-3 for intermittently blocking the infrared rays incident on the lens 2. The rotating unit 4 is mechanically connected to the stepping motor 5.

FIG. 2 conceptually shows an image formation state of infrared rays. Radiant heat from a heating element (eg, human body) 6 is imaged on the array sensor 1 through the lens 2. That is, the vertical linear temperature distribution of the human body can be detected upside down.

Now, when the long axis direction of the array sensor 1 is installed in the vertical direction and the chopper-3 is driven at 10 Hz, it becomes 1/10.
The distribution of the amount of radiant heat in the column in the direction in which the array sensor 1 and the lens 2 face each other, that is, the temperature distribution in the vertical direction can be measured every sec. The measurable spatial range is determined by the angle of view of the lens 2 and the sensor size, and the spatial resolution of the columns depends on the number of electrodes of the infrared ray receiving section provided in the array sensor 1. For example, when the angle of view of the lens 2 is 80 degrees and the array sensor 1 is provided with 10 light receiving portions, the vertical resolution is 10 and the temperature in the range of 8 degrees is measured.

Next, by driving the stepping motor 5 and intermittently rotating the rotating portion, the direction in which the array sensor 1 and the lens 2 are facing is scanned left and right, and in the same manner as described above, the chopper-3. To measure the temperature distribution. After the measurement, by connecting the vertical temperature distributions in each direction by electrical signal processing, a two-dimensional inversion temperature distribution of space is obtained. The spatial resolution in the lateral (left / right) direction depends on the rotation angle of the stepping motor 5 once. For example, a signal is input every 3.6 ° rotation and the total 1
When rotated by 80 degrees, the lateral spatial resolution is 50.
Therefore, the temperature distribution can be measured with a resolution of 10 × 50 in a space of 80 ° vertically and 180 ° horizontally as viewed from the sensor position.

After the measurement in the final facing direction is completed, the stepping motor 5 is rotated in the reverse direction to return to the initial facing direction, and a standby state for the next measurement is created.

The above measurement procedure will be described in more detail. Figure 3
A block diagram relating to the electric signal of the measuring device is shown in FIG. I /
The O port 18 has a stepping motor drive unit 15, a chopper drive unit 13, a sensor signal processing circuit unit 11 and a C
The PU 14 is electrically connected, and the CPU 14 is also connected to the clock generation circuit 16 and the data recording unit 17.

FIG. 4 shows the timing of main electric signal waveforms. Further, FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of the measuring method.

A signal processing method will be described with reference to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5.

First, measurement is performed in the initial facing direction by the measurement start signal (a) (step S1), and then a signal from the clock generation circuit 16 is received to make the CPU
The stepping motor drive direction signal (b) is set to the forward direction (for example, HIGH) by setting from 14, and the stepping motor drive signal (c) is sent to the stepping motor drive unit 15.
When the ON signal is transmitted, the stepping motor 5 is rotated forward by a constant angle (θ0).

At this time, at the same time, the chopper drive section 13 also transmits the ON / OFF signal of the chopper drive signal (d) to open / close the chopper 3. Here, by synchronizing the stepping signal and the chopper signal as shown in the figure, it is possible to perform the sensing at a good timing. The output of each sensor is adjusted according to the opening / closing of the chopper 3.
As shown in FIG. 4E, the data is stored in the data recording unit 17 through the sensor signal processing circuit unit 11. If the number of sensor light receiving parts is n, the data addresses are, for example, S01 and S0.
2, ---, S0n. After the data is stored, the CPU 14 transmits the next stepping motor drive signal, and at the same time, simultaneously transmits the chopper drive ON / OFF signal to start the measurement in the next direction.
After the measurement, the data addresses are S11, S12, ---, S1n. In this way, the measurement is performed by rotating the direction forward m times, and after the measurement in the final facing direction (the mth measurement) is completed (steps S2 and S3), the stepping motor drive direction signal is moved backward by the signal from the CPU 14. Direction (eg LO
W) and total stepping motor 5 (m × θ0)
It reversely rotates at high speed (c), returns to the initial facing direction, and enters a standby state for the next measurement (step S4). The reverse rotation speed should be as fast as possible. Next, the measurement data is transmitted to the CPU 14 (step S5) and processed as a matrix of S01, S02, ---, S0n S11, S12,-, S1n --- --- Sm1, Sm2, --Smn. By doing so, the temperature temperature distribution in the space can be measured with a resolution of n × m.

As a specific measurement example, the major axis direction of the array sensor 1 is now installed in the vertical direction, and the chopper 3 is set to 10H.
When driven at z, the temperature distribution of the column in one direction can be measured every 1/10 sec. The measurable spatial range depends on the angle of view of the lens and the sensor size, and the spatial resolution of the column depends on the number of electrodes of the infrared light receiving section provided in the array sensor 1. Corner 80
When the array sensor is provided with 10 light receiving portions, the vertical resolution is 10 and the temperature in the range of 8 degrees is measured.

Next, the rotation portion 4 is intermittently rotated forward to scan the direction in which the array sensor 1 and the lens 2 are facing, while driving the chopper 3 in the same manner as described above to measure the temperature distribution. . After the measurement, if the vertical temperature distributions in each direction are connected by signal processing,
A three-dimensional inversion temperature distribution is obtained. The spatial resolution in the lateral (left and right) direction depends on the rotation angle of the stepping motor 5 once. For example, a signal is input every 3.6 degrees rotation,
When rotated 180 degrees in total, the spatial resolution in the horizontal direction is 50, which is 80 degrees vertical and 1 horizontal when viewed from the sensor position.
The temperature distribution could be measured in a space of 80 degrees with a resolution of 10 × 50 at intervals of several minutes.

Next, an embodiment using another driving method of the stepping motor 5 will be described.

In the above embodiment, the number of forward and backward rotations of the stepping motor 5 is set by the CPU 14, but a stop switch with which the rotating portion 4 contacts may be provided separately. In other words, when the stepping motor 5 rotates forward after the measurement with respect to the final facing direction, the stepping motor 5 comes into contact with the first stop switch, and upon receipt of the signal, the stepping motor 5 is rotated backward in a stroke, that is, reversely rotated. By the reverse rotation, the second stop switch is provided so that the rotating portion 4 contacts the position where the array sensor 1 faces in the initial facing direction, and the reverse rotation is stopped.

FIG. 6 shows main electrical signal waveform timings in this embodiment.

That is, the first stop switch is O
It was possible to continuously measure the spatial temperature distribution by a simple method in which (b) when N was turned, reverse rotation was performed, and when the second stop switch was turned on (c), forward rotation was performed. The other signals are the same as those in the embodiment of FIG.

Note that either the forward rotation or the reverse rotation (reverse rotation) may be controlled by the stop switch. Further, the chopper may be stopped at the time of reverse rotation or may be continuously driven.

Next, a concrete mechanical structure of each of the above embodiments will be described.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing the structure. The rotating section 40 is provided with a pyroelectric infrared array sensor 10 having a plurality of light receiving sections arranged in a line, and a silicon infrared lens 20 for condensing infrared rays on the pyroelectric sensor array on the front surface of the array sensor 10. Further, on the front surface of the lens 20, there is provided a chopper 30 for intermittently blocking the infrared rays incident on the lens 20. The chopper 30 is capable of partially chopping infrared rays incident on the lens 20 by partially rotating the guide pin 31 as a fulcrum.
Reference numeral 32 is a permanent magnet fixed to the upper portion of the chopper 30, and 33 is a small solenoid, which enables the chopper 30 to be driven by changing the electromagnetic field according to the input current. The rotating unit 40 is mechanically connected to the stepping motor 50 via a connecting unit 51.

In the figure, reference numeral 70 denotes a main body of the sensor driving mechanism portion, which stably holds the rotating portion 40. As described above, by making the chopper 30 a lever type and embedding it in the rotary part, the desired chopping operation can be functionally achieved while changing the sensing direction.

Next, FIG. 8 shows another mechanical structure. That is, the rotary unit 40 includes a plurality of light receiving units arranged in a line in a pyroelectric infrared array sensor 10, and the array sensor 10
A silicon infrared lens 20 for condensing infrared rays on the pyroelectric sensor array 10 is provided on the front surface of the disk, and a disk type chopper 35 for intermittently blocking the infrared rays incident on the lens 20 is provided on the front surface of the lens 20. To provide. The chopper-35 rotates around a shaft 36 as a fulcrum, and a hole partially provided in the disk-type chopper-35 causes
The infrared rays incident on the lens 20 can be chopped. 37 is a small motor, a chopper
It is possible to rotate 35. The rotating unit 40 is mechanically connected to the stepping motor 50 via a connecting unit 51. In the figure, reference numeral 70 denotes a main body of the sensor drive mechanism section, which stably holds the rotating section 40.

Thus, by making the chopper 35 a rotary type and embedding the chopper 35 in the rotary part 40, the desired chopping operation can be achieved functionally while changing the sensing direction.

Next, one embodiment of a human body detection system using the temperature distribution measuring device according to the present invention will be described.

The measuring device shown in the above embodiment was used to measure about 6 × 6 m ^2.
It was mounted on the upper wall of the room and the temperature distribution of the entire room was measured. The number of sensor light-receiving parts was 10, and the number of left and right rotation steps was 40. The spatial temperature distribution at this time is 1
0x40 matrix S00, 01, S00, 02, ---, S00, 10 S01, 01, S01, 02, ---, S01, 10 ----- ----- ----- -S40, 01, S40, 02, --- S40, 10 can be used. Therefore, it was possible to detect the presence or absence of people in the room and the number of people by measuring the distribution state of each measured temperature of 35 ° C. or higher. Here, it is difficult to discriminate between the case where there is one person near the measuring device and the case where there are a plurality of persons at one place in the distance, but it is difficult to distinguish with one measurement temperature distribution. Therefore, it is possible to discriminate empirically. Furthermore, the amount of activity of the occupants was able to be qualitatively determined. It should be noted that, by introducing fuzzy reasoning using a membership function in the above determination, more accurate determination was possible. It should be noted that by utilizing this human body detection device, it becomes possible to apply such as changing the temperature adjustment of the air conditioner according to the number of people.

Regarding the type of infrared array sensor, a pyroelectric sensor made of an inorganic compound such as PbTiO ₃ or an organic compound such as vinylidene fluoride can be used, but the type is not particularly limited. Also,
The type of lens is not limited to the example.

[0037]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a low temperature, compact and highly reliable temperature distribution measuring apparatus using the infrared array sensor of the pyroelectric sensor.

Further, the temperature distribution in the space can be continuously measured by a simple and small measuring device.

By mounting the device of the present invention in a room, it is possible to sense the presence or absence of people in the room, the number of people, and the amount of activity.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view schematically showing a temperature distribution measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an image formation state of infrared rays in the same apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram based on an electric signal of the device.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a timing of an electric signal waveform in the device.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the same device.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another electrical signal waveform timing of the device.

FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view of a mechanical structure of the device.

FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another mechanical structure of the device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Infrared array sensor 2 infrared lens 3 chopper 4 rotating parts 5 Stepping motor 6 Heating element (for example, human body) 10 Infrared one-dimensional array sensor 11 Sensor signal processing circuit section 13 Chopper-drive unit 14 CPU 15 Stepping motor drive 16 clock generation circuit 17 data recording section 18 I / O ports 20 infrared lens 30 chopper 31 guide pin 32 permanent magnet 33 Small solenoid 35 disk type chopper 36 shaft 37 Small motor 40 rotating part 50 stepping motor 51 Connection 70 Sensor drive mechanism body

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. An infrared array sensor having a plurality of detection units for detecting infrared rays arranged in an array, a condensing unit for condensing infrared rays on the infrared array sensor, and intermittent infrared rays incident on the infrared array sensor. 1. A temperature distribution measuring device comprising: a chopper means for selectively shutting off the infrared ray array sensor, a condensing means, and a rotating part for holding and rotating the chopper means. 2. The temperature distribution measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the chopper is a lever type and is movably held by the rotating portion. 3. The temperature distribution measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the chopper is of a rotating disk type and is rotatably held by the rotating portion. 4. The infrared array sensor is installed in a longitudinal direction in a predetermined direction, and the chopper is driven to measure the distribution of radiation temperature in the predetermined direction, while rotating the rotating part intermittently. Further, the temperature distribution in each direction is measured by sequentially scanning in a direction substantially perpendicular to the predetermined direction, and the temperature distribution in each direction is connected based on the measurement result to obtain a two-dimensional temperature distribution in space. The temperature distribution measuring device according to claim 1, which is characterized in that. 5. The method according to claim 6, wherein the number of persons in the room or the amount of activity of the person in the room is determined from the measured value of the temperature distribution by introducing fuzzy inference using a membership function. Human body detection system. 6. An infrared array sensor having a plurality of detectors arranged in an array, a chopper means for intermittently blocking infrared rays incident on the infrared array sensor, and a facing direction of the infrared array sensor and the chopper means. A stepping motor that rotates in a stepwise manner is provided, and after measuring the output of each of the detection units in a predetermined facing direction, the stepping motor rotates forward by one step for a fixed angle, and the measurement is sequentially repeated to the final facing direction. After the measurement is completed, the temperature distribution measuring device is reversely rotated by the stepping motor to the initial facing direction. 7. The temperature distribution measuring device according to claim 7, wherein the drive of the chopper and the rotational drive are synchronized in response to a signal from the same clock generating means. 8. The temperature distribution measuring device according to claim 7, wherein after the measurement in the final facing direction is finished, the temperature distribution measuring device is rotated in the reverse direction by the entire angle of the forward rotation. 9. A forward rotation stop switch is provided,
The temperature distribution measuring device according to claim 1, wherein after the measurement in the final facing direction is completed, the stepping motor is rotated in reverse by a signal from the stop switch. 10. The temperature distribution measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a reverse rotation stop switch is provided, and reverse rotation of the stepping motor is stopped by a signal from the stop switch. 11. The radiant temperature distribution is measured by the temperature distribution measuring device according to claim 1, 4 or 6, and from the measured value, the number of people in the room or the time-dependent change value of the intake temperature distribution is used to determine the activity of the person in the room. A human body detection system comprising means for qualitatively determining the amount.