KR20010096124A - Retroreflective detector - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A recursive reflection type object detection apparatus is provided to prevent detection errors by using a plurality of light transmitting element and a plurality of light receiving element. CONSTITUTION: A main body(3) has two light transmitting elements(51,52) and two light receiving elements(61,62) formed in an inside of a casing(31). One side of the casing(31) facing a recursive reflection plate is formed by a light transmitting face(32) of a rectangular shape. The light transmitting elements(51,52) and the light receiving elements(61,62) are directed to the light transmitting face(32). The light transmitting elements(51,52) are used for transmitting the light from the light transmitting face(32) to the recursive reflection plate. The light receiving elements(61,62) are used for receiving the light reflected by the recursive reflection plate.

Description

Retroreflective Object Detection Device {RETROREFLECTIVE DETECTOR}

The present invention relates to a retroreflective object detecting device configured to reflect light from a light transmitting element by a retroreflective plate and to receive the light onto the light receiving element. In particular, the present invention relates to an improvement for preventing incorrect operation of object detection.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART Conventionally, the retroreflective object detection apparatus disclosed by Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 8-265130 as one of the detection apparatuses which detect a human body etc. is known. An object detecting apparatus of this kind has a device body in which a light transmitting element and a light receiving element are accommodated, and a retroreflective plate which is disposed to face the device body at a predetermined distance. The retroreflective plate is composed of a prism called a corner cube reflector that reflects the light from the light emitting element, and reflects the light incident from the light emitting element in the opposite direction to the direction of incidence thereof. have.

When no object exists in the space between the main body of the device and the retroreflective plate, projection (infrared rays, etc.) from the light transmitting element is reflected by the retroreflective plate and the reflected light is received by the light receiving element. On the other hand, when an object (a human body, etc.) exists in the space between the apparatus main body and the retroreflective plate, or when the object passes through the space, the light received by the light transmitting element is blocked by the object, thereby changing the amount of light received by the light receiving element. In this way, the light receiving element can detect the presence or passage of an object by a change in the amount of light received by the reflected light from the retroreflective plate. Specifically, when the light receiving element is in a state in which it does not receive the reflected light from the retroreflective plate, the device starts to notify the presence of the object.

As a characteristic of this kind of object detecting apparatus, the width of the light transmitting element is small. As a result, the reflected light reflected by the retroreflective plate is reliably irradiated toward the light-receiving element, and incorrect operation can be prevented by not extending the transmissive light width more than necessary.

However, this object detecting device has a problem that since the object is small in width, even an object that does not need to be detected is detected as a passing object. For example, although the device is installed to detect the passage of the human body, the light is blocked only by the passage of the leaves or insects in the vicinity of the light transmitting element, thereby causing a problem in that the device is launched.

As a countermeasure for solving this problem, there is a configuration in which two light transmitting elements and two light receiving elements are provided. 6 and 7 show the device body 100 of two types having two light transmitting elements 101 and 101 and two light receiving elements 102 and 102, respectively. In FIG. 6, the light transmitting elements 101 and 101 are arranged in a horizontal direction on an upper portion of the light transmitting surface 103 of the apparatus body 100, and the light receiving elements 102 and the lower portion of the light transmitting surface 103 are arranged in a horizontal direction. 102 are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction. In FIG. 7, the light transmitting elements 101 and 101 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction on one side (the right side in the drawing) of the light transmitting surface 103 of the apparatus body 100, and the light transmitting surface 103 is arranged side by side. Each light receiving element 102, 102 is arranged side by side in the up and down direction on the other side (left side in the drawing) of ().

By these configurations, the stepping is performed only when the light transmission from both the light transmitting elements 101 and 101 is blocked together. As a result, it is possible not to perform a baling only if a small object through which only one light beam is blocked is passed, and both light beams are blocked together to recognize the presence or passage of an object, thereby avoiding false baling. .

By the way, in each apparatus main body 100 mentioned above, there existed a problem described below. First, as shown in FIG. 6 in which the same elements are arranged side by side horizontally, for example, when an object 104 displayed as a virtual line in FIG. 6 passes near the light transmission surface 103 (for example, a horizontally long object). The case where 104 falls, etc.), the light emission from both light emitting elements 101 and 101 are interrupted simultaneously, and a device will start. As a result, even though only half of the area of the light transmitting surface 103 is shielded, it becomes a step.

Similarly, in the apparatus main body 110 shown in FIG. 7 in which the same elements are arranged side by side in the vertical direction, for example, when the object 104 indicated by a virtual line in FIG. For example, when a long object 104 passes in the up and down direction, or the like, a light emission from both light emitting elements 101 and 101 is blocked at the same time, and the device is launched. As a result, even in this case, even though only half of the area of the light transmitting surface 103 is shielded, stepping is performed.

In order to avoid these false announcements, two device bodies each having one light transmitting element and one light receiving element are provided at a predetermined distance, and the projections from both light emitting elements are simultaneously blocked by the above-mentioned falling objects and passing objects. A configuration is contemplated that makes it difficult to generate a situation in which it is difficult.

However, in this structure, the installation work for installing the apparatus main body in two places becomes necessary, resulting in an increase in the number of installation work and an increase in manufacturing cost.

In addition, it is also conceivable that the apparatus main body is made large and each element is disposed at both ends of the large light transmitting surface to prevent erroneous baling at a distance between the elements.

However, this is not practical because it requires a large installation space in accordance with the enlargement of the apparatus main body, leading to deterioration in appearance and increase in manufacturing cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and an object thereof is to effectively avoid erroneous stepping without causing an increase in size of the retroreflective object detecting device having a plurality of light transmitting elements and light receiving elements. It is.

In order to achieve the above object, the retro-reflective object detecting apparatus of the present invention comprises a device main body having a light transmitting element and a light receiving element on a light transmitting surface, and a reflex reflecting means disposed to face the device main body at a predetermined distance. Presence or absence of an object in the space between the apparatus main body and the retroreflective means, depending on whether the light irradiated from the light transmitting element is reflected by the retroreflective means and the reflected light is received by the light receiving element. It is assumed that it is the structure which determines. In this retroreflective object detecting apparatus, the apparatus main body is formed by arranging a plurality of light transmitting elements consisting of one light transmitting element and one light receiving element, arranged in a matrix, and in every row and column of the matrix. One or more light transmitting elements are arranged.

In the above structure, one or more light receiving elements are arranged in all rows and columns of the matrix. Therefore, the maximum value of the width is defined in both the row direction and the column direction of the light transmitting element and the light receiving element arranged in a matrix shape. Therefore, when there is a relatively small falling object or passing object that does not need to be detected, even if the light irradiated from some transmissive elements is blocked by the falling object or passing object, the falling object or passing object shields all the light emitting elements. All the irradiated light is not blocked by the object unless it is. In addition, the size of the object necessary for shielding all the light emitting elements is larger than that in which the light emitting elements are arranged in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction. The same applies to the case where the reflected light is blocked by the object, and the size of the object necessary for shielding all the light receiving means becomes larger than the case where the light receiving means is arranged in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction. As a result, it is configured so that the existence of the object is not recognized unless an object of the same size or larger than the light transmitting surface exists or passes therethrough.

Therefore, even though only half of the area of the light transmitting surface is shielded (see FIGS. 6 and 7), the situation of recognizing the existence of an object and making an incorrect operation is prevented.

In the above configuration, the light transmitting element is disposed at the farthest position on one diagonal line in the rows and columns of the matrix, and the light receiving element is placed at the farthest position on the diagonal side of the matrix. It is preferable to arrange each.

With such a configuration, the light transmitting elements and the light receiving elements can be arranged at a far position using the area of the light transmitting surface to the maximum. As a result, the presence or passage of an object can be prevented from being recognized unless the light transmitting elements or light receiving elements at the relatively far positions are blocked at the same time. For this reason, the erroneous operation | movement started by the comparatively small falling object and the passing object which do not require detection can be implemented more reliably, and also it can implement without causing the enlargement of the whole apparatus.

In each of the above configurations, the horizontal spacing dimensions of the translucent elements at the position where the horizontal spacing is farthest and the horizontal spacing dimensions of the light receiving elements at the position farthest in the horizontal direction should be detected. It is preferable to set smaller than the dimension of the horizontal direction of a detection object. In addition, the vertical dimension of the transmissive elements of the light emitting elements at the position where the vertical gap is farthest and the vertical dimension of the light receiving elements at the position where the distance in the vertical direction are the farthest are measured in the vertical direction of the object to be detected. It is preferable to set smaller than a dimension.

These constitutions specifically specify the spacing dimensions between the light transmitting means and the light receiving means.

These configurations can reliably avoid a situation where a detection object exists in the space between the device body and the reflex reflection means or when the detection object passes through this space, and the reliability of the device is improved. .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a front view of an automatic cash consignment payment machine (hereinafter referred to as ATM) equipped with a retroreflective object detecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a perspective view of the apparatus main body.

FIG. 3 is a view for explaining an inadvertently avoided operation, FIG. 3 (a) shows a state in which an object 70 long in the horizontal direction passes through the light transmitting surface, and FIG. The object 71 long in the direction passes through the light transmitting surface.

4 is a diagram for explaining a stepping operation.

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an arrangement example of a light transmitting element and a light receiving element applied to the apparatus main body of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining an incorrect stepping operation in the conventional example.

Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining an incorrect stepping operation in another conventional example.

* Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings *

1: Detector 2: ATM

3: device body 4: retroreflective plate

7: footrest 21, 22: partition wall

32: light transmitting surface 51, 52, 80: light transmitting element

61, 62, 90: light receiving element

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Below, the Example of this invention is described based on drawing. In this embodiment, the case where the retroreflective object detecting apparatus (hereinafter, abbreviated as "detecting apparatus") according to the present invention is provided by an ATM installed in a bank or the like will be described. In this case, the detection target is a human body.

1 is a front view of the ATM 2 provided with the detection apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, partition walls 21 and 22 serving as partitions between adjacent ATMs (not shown) are provided on both sides of the ATM 2. The detection apparatus 1 is provided in these partition walls 21 and 22. Specifically, this detection device 1 includes a device body 3, a retroreflective plate 4 as a retroreflective means, and a footrest portion 7, and the device body (1) is shown in the partition wall 21 on the left side in the drawing. 3) In the figure, the retroreflective plate 4 is provided in the partition wall 22 on the right side, respectively.

2 is a perspective view of the apparatus body 3. As shown in Fig. 2, the apparatus main body 3 accommodates two light transmitting elements 51 and 52 as light transmitting means and two light receiving elements 61 and 62 as light receiving means inside the casing 31 of the main body. It is composed. In each surface of the casing 31 of the main body, the surface facing the retroreflective plate 4 (the front face in Fig. 2) is a transmissive light receiving surface 32 having a quadrangular shape, and the light transmitting elements 51 and 52 and the light receiving light. The elements 61 and 62 face the light transmitting surface 32. As a result, the light transmitting elements 51 and 52 transmit light toward the return reflecting plate 4 from the light transmitting surface 32, and the light receiving elements 61 and 62 reflect the reflected light reflected by the return reflecting plate 4, respectively. Light is received from the light transmitting surface 32.

The main feature of the apparatus 3 is in the arrangement state of the elements 51, 52, 61 and 62. As a result, among the corners of the light transmitting surface 32, the light transmitting elements 51 and 52 are disposed at a pair of diagonal corners, respectively, and the light receiving elements 61 and 62 are disposed at the remaining pair of corners, respectively. have.

In other words, the transmissive elements 51 and 52 are arranged in positions not inclined to each other in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction (beveled position), and the light receiving elements 61 and 62 are also adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction. It is arrange | positioned in the position which does not (bent arrangement position). Specifically, in Fig. 2, light transmitting elements 51 and 52 are disposed at the upper left corner and the lower right corner, respectively. In addition, in FIG. 2, the light receiving elements 61 and 62 are arrange | positioned in the upper right corner and the lower left corner, respectively (in FIG. 2, the transmitted light is shown by the arrow).

In Fig. 2, light transmitting elements may be disposed at the upper right corner and the lower left corner, respectively, and light receiving elements may be disposed at the upper left corner and the lower right corner, respectively.

In addition, the horizontal gaps L1 between the respective center positions 511 and 521 in the light transmitting elements 51 and 52 and the respective center positions 611 in the light receiving elements 61 and 62. 621 are set smaller than the width dimension of the human body (for example, 100 mm) in the horizontal dimension L1. As a result, when a person stands in front of the main body 3 of the apparatus, both the light transmitting elements 51 and 52 and the both light receiving elements 61 and 62 are shielded together by the human body, and light is emitted from the light transmitting elements 51 and 52. The return reflecting plate 4 is not reached.

In the present embodiment, since the detection device 1 is used for the detection of a human body, the horizontal gap size L1 of each device is defined as described above, but in the case of the detection device used for other purposes, The gap dimension L2 in the up and down direction may be set smaller than the dimension in the up and down direction of the detection target.

The retroreflective plate 4 is constituted by a prism or the like called a corner cube reflector which reflects the light emitted from the light transmissive elements 51 and 52, and reverses the light incident from the light transmissive elements 51 and 52 with respect to the incident direction thereof. It is reflected (retroreflective). In addition, the retroreflective plate 4 reflects light from one light transmitting element 51 toward each light receiving element 61, 62, and also transmits light from the other light transmitting element 52. , 62).

The apparatus main body 3 is connected to the footrest part 7 of this detection apparatus 1 as shown in FIG. When the signal from the light receiving elements 61 and 62 can receive the signal from the retroreflective plate 4, the light-producing section 7 can receive the signals from both the light receiving elements 61 and 62. A signal for activating the ATM 2 is received by receiving the signals from the light receiving elements 61 and 62.

Next, the human body detecting operation of the detecting device 1 configured as described above will be described.

In a state where no person approaches the ATM 2, light (infrared rays, etc.) emitted from each of the light transmitting elements 51 and 52 is reflected by the retroreflective plate 4, and the reflected light is reflected by each of the light receiving elements 61 and 62. ) Is received. In this state, the alarm unit 7 is not launched and the ATM 2 is not activated.

On the other hand, when a person approaches the ATM 2 and enters the space between the apparatus main body 3 and the retroreflective plate 4 (in front of the operation panel of the ATM 2), both light emitting elements ( Light from 51 and 52 is blocked by the human body, and the light receiving elements 61 and 62 output the signal according to the amount of light received by the footrest unit 7. The alarm unit 7 starts on the basis of this signal, whereby the ATM 2 is activated (such as lighting of the monitor screen).

Moreover, in the apparatus main body 3 of this detection apparatus 1, since the light transmitting elements 51 and 52 and the light receiving elements 61 and 62 are arrange | positioned in the position which does not mutually adjoin each other in a horizontal direction and an up-down direction, it is the following. As stated in (A) and (B), false alarming does not occur.

(A) When one of the light transmitting elements 51 and the light receiving element 61 passes through (falls) near the light transmitting surface 32 in the horizontal direction indicated by the virtual line in FIG. Is shielded by the object 70, but the other light transmitting element 52 and the light receiving element 62 are not shielded by this object 70. As a result, the alarm unit 7 does not advance and the ATM 2 is incorrectly operated.

(B) When the long object 71 in the vertical direction indicated by the virtual line in Fig. 3B passes near the light transmitting surface 32, one of the light transmitting element 52 and the light receiving element 61, Although the state is shielded by the object 71, the other light transmitting element 51 and the light receiving element 62 are not shielded by the object 71. As a result, even in this case, the alarm unit 7 does not advance, and the operation of the ATM 2 is avoided.

In this manner, the baling is not performed only if the half of the area of the light transmitting surface 32 is shielded by the object. Balbok of this detection apparatus 1 is performed when the object 73 which exists in the shape shown by the virtual line in FIG. 4 exists or passes, for example. When such an object C is present or passes through, both light transmitting elements 51 and 52 are shielded by the object 73, and both light receiving elements 61 and 62 receive the reflected light from the retroreflective plate 4. The device 1 is moved. However, in reality, the possibility that an object passing in the vicinity of the apparatus main body 3 has the same shape as the object 73 is extremely low, and in reality, the entire light transmitting surface 32 of the apparatus main body 3 is shielded. It is conceivable that the device 1 steps. In the conventional configuration shown in Figs. 6 and 7, even if two light transmitting elements and two light receiving elements are provided, the device has been announced that the half of the light transmitting surface is shielded by an object, but according to the configuration of the present embodiment, the light transmitting element 51 And 52 and the light receiving elements 61 and 62 are not raised by the device 1 unless the entire light transmitting surface 32 is shielded by an object (human body or the like).

As described above, according to the present embodiment, two light transmitting elements 51 and 52 and two light receiving elements 61 and 62 are accommodated in the apparatus main body 3, and the light transmitting elements 51 and 52 and the light receiving element 61 are separated. By arranging each other at positions not adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, the apparatus 1 makes a configuration only when the entire light transmitting surface 32 is shielded by a human body or the like. For this reason, even though only half of the area of the light transmitting surface is shielded, it is possible to avoid a situation in which an object is recognized and misoperated. As a result, erroneous stepping can be avoided without causing an increase in the size of the apparatus main body 3 and without requiring a large number of light transmitting elements. As a result, the detection device 1 can be provided with high reliability without causing an increase in the number of installation work of the device 1, an increase in manufacturing cost, and deterioration in appearance.

In the above embodiment, the case where the ATM 2 is provided with the retroreflective object detecting apparatus 1 according to the present invention has been described. The present invention is not limited to this, and can be used as a way of detecting the passage of a person in a door opening or as a way of detecting the passage of automation in an automatic toll payment system on a toll road. Applicable

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the apparatus main body 3 employs two light transmitting elements 51 and 52 and two light receiving elements 61 and 62, respectively, arranged in a matrix. The present invention has a configuration in which each of the elements 80 and 90 as shown in Figs. 5A and 5C is arranged in a matrix form, respectively, but as shown in Figs. 5B and 5D, Fig. 2 The arrangement position is not limited as long as it is a configuration included in the claims, such as a configuration in which two sets of light transmitting elements shown in FIG. 4 are assembled.

In Fig. 5, examples of Figs. 5 (a) and 5 (c) and 5 (b) and (d) show the shape of the light transmitting surface 321 and the light transmitting surface 322, the light transmitting element 80, and the light receiving element. The number of 90 is different. 5 (a), 5 (b) and 5 (c), (d), the arrangement of the light transmitting element 80 and the light receiving element 90 is different. In the example of FIGS. 5A and 5B, the light transmitting element 80 is disposed at the farthest position on one diagonal line in the rows and columns of the matrix, and the light receiving element 90 is also disposed on the other side of the light receiving element 90. It is preferable compared with the example of FIG.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the external shape of the light transmitting surface 32 is made into a quadrangular shape, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various shapes such as a circle can be adopted.

According to the retroreflective object detecting device of the present invention as described above, it is possible to effectively avoid wrong steps without causing the device to be enlarged.

Claims (4)

A device body having a light transmitting element and a light receiving element on a light transmitting surface, and a retroreflective means arranged to face the device main body at a predetermined distance, and the light emitted from the light transmitting element is reflected by the retroreflective means, In the retroreflective object detecting apparatus for determining the presence or absence of an object in the space between the apparatus main body and the retroreflective means, depending on whether the reflected light is received by the light receiving element. The apparatus main body includes a plurality of sets of one light transmitting element and one light transmitting element, arranged in a matrix, and at least one light transmitting element is arranged in all rows and columns of the matrix. A retroreflective object detection device, characterized in that. 2. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the light transmitting elements are arranged at the most diagonally positioned positions on one diagonal line in the rows and columns of the matrix, and the light receiving elements are each arranged at the most remote positions on the other diagonal lines. Retroreflective object detection device characterized in that. The horizontal gap dimension of the light transmitting elements at positions where the horizontal gaps are farthest, and the horizontal gap dimension of the light receiving elements at positions where the horizontal gaps are farthest. A retroreflective object detection device, characterized in that it is set smaller than the horizontal dimension of the detection target to be detected. According to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vertical dimension of the transmissive elements of the light transmitting elements in the position where the distance in the vertical direction is the lowest and the vertical dimension of the interval between the light receiving elements in the position where the interval in the vertical direction is the least, A retroreflective object detection device, characterized in that it is set smaller than the dimension in the vertical direction of the detection target to be detected.