JPH08152362A - Method and apparatus for transmitting temperature data - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To perform the correction by the simple constitution by adding the image components corresponding to the lowest value, the highest value and the central value of the image components as the reference signal on a scanning line, for which the period of a vertical retrace line is predetermined, transmitting the signal as the analog signal, and accurately obtaining the attenuation amount of a transmitting cable. CONSTITUTION: The analog signal from an infrared sensor undergoes A/D conversion 2, and the signal is stored in a memory part 3 under the control of a television-scanning conversion part 6. Reference data, which are added to digital temperature data, are formed in a reference data forming part 7. In the forming part 7, a selecting signal for adding the reference data to the temperature data is generated on the predetermined scanning line within the period of a vertical retrace line under the control of a scanning conversion part 6. By this selecting signal, the reference data and the temperature data are alternately selected in a reference data adding part 4, and the temperature data, to which the reference data are added, are obtained. The data undergoes D/A conversion 5 and become the analog temperature data. The data are outputted to the outside in the form of the composite image signal.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a transmission device for transmitting temperature data in real time over a long distance.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Measuring temperature in a relatively wide area,
In order to process data, it is necessary to install an infrared image device that measures temperature using an infrared sensor, which is a data collection unit, and an external device, such as a personal computer, which is a data processing unit, in separate locations. In this case, it is necessary to transmit the measured temperature data to the data processing point at high speed. In this data transmission, the analog signal obtained by detecting infrared rays is converted into digital data by the infrared imaging device, so if the transmission distance is short,
It is generally transmitted as digital. There are two digital data transmission methods, serial transmission and parallel transmission. On the other hand, when the transmission distance is long, digital data is D / A converted, scan converted, and transmitted as an analog signal in the form of a composite image signal such as NTSC.

[0003]

However, the serial transmission of digital data allows long-distance transmission up to several kilometers, but it takes several seconds to transmit one frame and has a drawback that the transmission speed is slow. It was On the other hand, although parallel transmission depends on the system, transmission of one frame is as fast as 1 second or less, but has a drawback that the transmission distance is as short as several tens of meters or less. On the other hand, although data transmission using analog signals can be performed at high speed, it is difficult to transmit temperature information accurately when the signal is attenuated by the cable loss according to the length of the cable used and the temperature is expressed by the amplitude. there were. As described above, the conventional method has a problem in the transmission speed, the transmission distance, or the accuracy. In order to solve the above problems, the present invention transmits a measured temperature range as absolute temperature information by digital serial data transmission such as RS232C, and transmits relative temperature information as an analog signal in the form of a composite image signal such as NTSC. , In order to be able to specify the attenuation of data transmission due to this analog signal, add the highest value, the lowest value and the median value of the video component as reference data on a specific scan line determined in advance in the vertical blanking period. It is an object of the present invention to provide a transmission method and a transmission device capable of transmitting temperature information with a simple configuration.

[0004]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following means.

In an analog temperature data represented in the form of a composite image signal in which the analog signal obtained from the infrared sensor is temperature-converted and the amplitude value of the image component is expressed as a relative value of temperature, a vertical blanking period is set. The image component corresponding to the minimum, maximum and median value of the image component is added as a reference signal on a specific scan line determined in advance and transmitted as an analog signal, and the absolute value of the temperature is digital as the measured temperature range. A method for transmitting temperature data, which comprises serially transmitting data.

A temperature data transmitter used in the method for transmitting temperature data according to claim 1, wherein an infrared sensor is used to detect a temperature range to be measured and an MPU unit to measure temperature range data. An A / D converter that converts the obtained analog signal into digital temperature data, and a television scan converter that converts the digital temperature data obtained from this A / D converter so that it can be displayed on a CRT. And a memory unit for storing the digital temperature data from the A / D conversion unit under the control of the TV scanning conversion unit, and used as reference data under the control of the TV scanning conversion unit. Memory 1
A reference data addition unit that generates the maximum value, the minimum value, and the median value for each pixel and adds it to the digital temperature data from the memory unit, and the digital temperature data to which the reference data from this reference data addition unit is added is analog. And a serial control section for serially transmitting the measured temperature range data from the MPU section, and a D / A conversion section for converting the CRT into a drivable composite image signal format. Data transmission device.

In the temperature data receiver used in the temperature data transmission system according to claim 1, an offset calculated by an MPU unit described later for amplifying analog temperature data to which reference data in a composite image signal format from the outside is added. An amplification unit whose offset and gain can be adjusted by the data and the gain data, and an A / D conversion unit which converts the analog temperature data to which the amplified reference data in the composite image signal format from the amplification unit is added into digital data. ,
From the digital temperature data to which the reference data from the A / D conversion unit is added, under the control of the timing control unit described later, only the reference data is detected, and the reference data detection unit that allows the digital temperature data to pass through as it is, A memory unit for storing digital temperature data that has passed through the reference data detection unit as it is from the A / D conversion unit under the control of a timing control unit described later, reference data in the composite image signal format, and analog temperature data. From the reference data detection unit, a timing control unit that separates a synchronization signal from the memory unit and generates a signal that controls writing and reading to and from the memory unit and a reference detection signal, and three reference data of the highest value, the lowest value, and the median value. Read out the Calculating a set data and gain data, also, the MPU unit for calculating the absolute temperature reading data from the later serial control unit, the M
A D / A conversion unit for converting digital offset data and digital gain data from the PU unit into analog data;
When serial data is received from the outside, the MPU
A temperature data receiving device having a serial control unit for outputting a reception signal to the unit.

[0008]

According to the present invention, the analog signal obtained from the infrared sensor is scanned and converted into the composite image signal format such as NTSC as the relative temperature information, and the image component of the video component is displayed on the predetermined scanning line within the vertical blanking period. By adding and transmitting three reference data of the maximum value, the minimum value, and the median value, the offset and gain of the amplifying unit on the receiving device side are calculated from these three reference data, and these values are used as the basis. In addition, the automatic adjustment of the amplification unit is possible, so that the attenuation amount can be reliably compensated. Therefore, long-distance analog temperature data can be transmitted, and relative temperature information can be accurately transmitted. Moreover, since the measured temperature range is transmitted by digital serial transmission, the actual absolute temperature information can also be calculated.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a temperature data transmission device showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 (A) is a block diagram of a transmission device and FIG. 1 (B) is a block diagram of a reception device. 2 is a waveform diagram for explaining the operation of this temperature data transmission device. In FIG. 1A, 1 is an MPU, 2 is an A / D converter that converts an analog signal from an infrared sensor (not shown) into digital temperature data, and 3 is under the control of a television scanning converter 6 described later. The memory unit 4 for storing the digital temperature data from the A / D conversion unit 2 receives the digital temperature data from the memory unit 3 and the reference data generation unit 7 described below under the control of the reference data generation unit 7 described below. Of the reference data from the reference data adder 4, 5 is a D / A converter for converting the digital temperature data to which the reference data from the reference data adder 4 is added to analog temperature data, and 6 is an A / D converter 2
A TV scan conversion unit for scan-converting the digital temperature data from the CRT so that it can be displayed on a CRT, and 7 is a reference data addition signal and reference data for generating reference data under the control of the TV scan conversion unit 6. The generation unit 8 is a serial control unit for digitally serially transmitting the measured temperature range data.

In FIG. 1B, 11 is an MPU and 12
Is a D / A conversion unit for converting digital offset data and digital gain data for the amplification unit 13 from the MPU 11 into analog data, and 13 is an amplification unit for amplifying analog temperature data to which reference data from the outside is added. The offset and gain of this amplifier are automatically adjusted from the MPU 11 via the D / A converter 12 as necessary, and 14 is analog temperature data to which the amplified reference data from the amplifier 13 is added. A / D conversion unit for converting digital to digital data, 15
Under the control of the timing control unit 17 described later,
A reference data detection unit that detects only the reference data from the digital temperature data to which the reference data from the A / D conversion unit 14 is added and passes the digital temperature data as it is, 16 is under the control of the timing control unit 17 described later. , Reference data detector 1
A memory unit for storing the digital temperature data that has passed through 5 as it is, a reference numeral 17 for separating a synchronization signal from the analog temperature data to which the reference data is added,
A timing control unit that generates a signal that controls the D conversion unit 14, the reference data detection unit 15, and the memory unit 16, and 18 is a serial control unit that transmits digital serial data.

Next, the operation of such a temperature data transmitter and receiver will be described with reference to FIG. First, the transmitting device will be described with reference to FIG. The analog signal from the infrared sensor is converted into digital temperature data by the A / D converter 2 based on the measured temperature range designated by the MPU 1, and is horizontally controlled under the control of the television scanning converter 6 so that it can be displayed on the CRT. It is stored in the memory unit 3 according to an address based on the sync signal and the vertical sync signal. The reference data added to the digital temperature data is generated by the reference data generation unit 7. The reference data are three predetermined constants representing the maximum value, the median value, and the minimum value of the temperature data. For example, when one pixel is composed of 8 bits, the maximum value is 255, the median value is 127, and the minimum value is 0. The use of the three values as the reference data is to enable the amplifier and the gain of the receiving device to determine the offset and gain necessary for compensating the attenuation amount in consideration of the linearity. Further, the reference data generation unit 7 generates a selection signal for adding the reference data to the temperature data on a predetermined scan line within the vertical blanking period under the control of the television scan conversion unit.

The digital temperature data stored in the memory unit 3 is read out under the control of the television scan conversion unit 4, and the reference data is added to the reference data by the selection signal generated by the reference data generation unit 7. And temperature data are selected alternately, it becomes digital temperature data with reference data added, and D
The analog-to-analog data is converted into analog temperature data by the / A converter 5 and is output to the outside in the form of a composite image signal. FIG. 2 is a waveform diagram in the case where reference data is added to the previous three scanning lines from the vertical address where the actual temperature data is stored in this example. The data output in this way is only the relative height information of the temperature, and does not include the actual absolute temperature information. This actual absolute temperature information is MPU
From 1 as measurement temperature range data is output to the outside as digital data via the serial control unit 8. The reason why the digital serial transmission is used here is that the measured temperature range data is composed of several bytes and is not frequently changed, so that it can be sufficiently transmitted by a system such as RS232C. In this way, the temperature information can be output to the outside in perfect form.

Next, the receiver will be described with reference to FIG. 1 (B) and FIG. The analog temperature data added with the reference data in the composite image signal format as shown in FIG. 2 transmitted from the transmitter side is attenuated while passing through the transmission cable. The analog temperature data to which the reference data in the attenuated composite image signal format is added is sent to the amplification unit 13 and the timing control unit 17. The timing control unit 17 separates the sync signal from the analog temperature data to which the reference data in the composite image signal format is added, generates the address of the memory unit 16 based on the horizontal sync signal and the vertical sync signal, and simultaneously detects the reference data. Generate a signal. The analog temperature data to which the reference data in the composite image signal format is added is output by the MPU 11 in the amplification unit 13 and amplified by the D / A conversion unit 12 according to the offset and gain converted into the analog signal, and the A / D conversion unit 1
4 and converted into digital temperature data with reference data added.

The digital temperature data to which the reference data is added is detected by the reference data detection unit 15 by the reference data detection signal generated from the timing control unit 17, and only the reference data is detected, and the digital temperature data is passed as it is, It is stored in the memory unit 16 according to the address generated by the timing control unit 17. The MPU 11 reads the reference data detected by the reference data detection unit 15 in order to compensate for the amount of attenuation due to the transmission cable, and sets the maximum value, the median value, and the minimum value to predetermined values (for example, one When the pixel is composed of 8 bits, the offset value and the gain value of the amplifiers 255, 127, and 0) are calculated, and the amplifier 13 is controlled via the D / A converter 12.

In this way, the amplifier 13 can always correct the attenuation amount by the transmission cable in the optimum state,
It becomes possible to acquire relative temperature information. Also,
The actual absolute temperature information is calculated by the MPU 11 reading the measured temperature range data transmitted by an external digital serial data transmission method via the serial control unit 18, and using this data and the data obtained from the memory unit 16. Required. As described above, the values specified as the maximum value, the median value, and the minimum value of the temperature data are added to the analog temperature information as reference data and N
By transmitting in a composite image signal format such as TSC,
The reference data can be amplified on the receiving device side so that the reference data can be accurately reproduced, and the attenuation amount due to the cable can be accurately compensated.

[0016]

According to the present invention, an analog signal obtained from an infrared sensor is temperature-converted and scan-converted into a composite image signal format such as NTSC, and a predetermined specific scan in the vertical blanking period is performed. The values specified as the maximum, median, and minimum values of the video components on the line were added as reference data for transmission, so that the receiving unit can accurately reproduce these reference data. Since it is possible to automatically control the attenuation amount of the transmission cable, it is possible to transmit temperature data over a relatively long distance of about 200 m, which can correct the attenuation amount of the cable with a simple configuration. Further, since the existing technology such as NTSC is used, the reliability is high and the cost can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a temperature data transmission device showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a waveform diagram for explaining the operation of the temperature data transmission device of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 MPU 2 A / D conversion unit 3 Memory unit 4 Reference data addition unit 5 D / A conversion unit 6 Television scanning conversion unit 7 Reference data generation unit 8 Serial control unit 11 MPU 12 D / A conversion unit 13 Amplification unit 14 A / D conversion unit 15 Reference data detection unit 16 Memory unit 17 Timing control unit 18 Serial control unit

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A vertical return in analog temperature data represented in the form of a composite image signal configured to convert an analog signal obtained from an infrared sensor into a temperature, and an amplitude value of a video component representing a relative value of temperature. The minimum, maximum, and median image components of the image component are added as a reference signal on a specific scan line that is predetermined in the line period and transmitted as an analog signal, and the absolute temperature value is the measured temperature range. A method of transmitting temperature data, characterized in that digital data is serially transmitted as. 2. The temperature data transmitter used in the method for transmitting temperature data according to claim 1, wherein an MPU unit for instructing a measurement temperature range, and infrared rays based on the measurement temperature range data instructed by the MPU unit are used. An A / D converter that converts an analog signal obtained from a sensor into digital temperature data, and a television scan that converts the digital temperature data obtained from this A / D converter so that it can be displayed on a CRT. A conversion unit, a memory unit for storing the digital temperature data from the A / D conversion unit under the control of the TV scanning conversion unit, and a reference data under the control of the TV scanning conversion unit. Maximum value per pixel of memory used,
A reference data addition unit that generates the lowest value and the median value and adds it to the digital temperature data from the memory unit, and the digital temperature data to which the reference data from this reference data addition unit is added is converted to analog, and the CRT is A temperature data transmission device comprising: a D / A conversion unit for converting into a drivable composite image signal format; and a serial control unit for serially transmitting measured temperature range data from the MPU unit. 3. A temperature data receiver used for the temperature data transmission method according to claim 1, wherein the analog temperature data added with reference data in a composite image signal format from the outside is amplified, and is calculated by an MPU unit described later. A / D converter for converting the analog temperature data to which the offset and gain are adjustable by the offset data and the gain data and the reference data in the composite image signal format amplified by the amplifier is added to the digital data Section and the digital temperature data to which the reference data from this A / D conversion section is added, under the control of the timing control section described later, only the reference data is detected and the digital temperature data is passed through as it is. Section and the A / D conversion section The memory unit that stores the digital temperature data that has passed through the unit as it is under the control of the timing control unit described below, and the synchronization signal is separated from the reference data and the analog temperature data in the composite image signal format, and is written to the memory unit. A timing control unit that generates a signal for controlling reading and a reference detection signal; and three pieces of reference data of a maximum value, a minimum value, and a median value from the reference data detection unit, and offset data and gain data of the amplification unit. And an MPU unit that reads the data from the serial control unit described below and calculates the absolute temperature, a D / A conversion unit that converts the digital offset data and digital gain data from this MPU unit into analog data, and Receive serial data from In time, the MPU
A temperature data receiving device having a serial control unit for outputting a reception signal to the unit.