WO2007128161A1 - Apparatus for monitoring horizontal level - Google Patents

Apparatus for monitoring horizontal level Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2007128161A1
WO2007128161A1 PCT/CN2006/000894 CN2006000894W WO2007128161A1 WO 2007128161 A1 WO2007128161 A1 WO 2007128161A1 CN 2006000894 W CN2006000894 W CN 2006000894W WO 2007128161 A1 WO2007128161 A1 WO 2007128161A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
tilting angle
horizontal level
monitoring
stable
horizontal
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/CN2006/000894
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Ching-Shan Chang
Original Assignee
Appro Technology Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Appro Technology Inc. filed Critical Appro Technology Inc.
Priority to PCT/CN2006/000894 priority Critical patent/WO2007128161A1/en
Publication of WO2007128161A1 publication Critical patent/WO2007128161A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01C—MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY
    • G01C9/00—Measuring inclination, e.g. by clinometers, by levels
    • G01C9/02—Details
    • G01C9/06—Electric or photoelectric indication or reading means
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
    • G08B13/00—Burglar, theft or intruder alarms
    • G08B13/02—Mechanical actuation
    • G08B13/14—Mechanical actuation by lifting or attempted removal of hand-portable articles
    • G08B13/1436—Mechanical actuation by lifting or attempted removal of hand-portable articles with motion detection
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
    • G08B13/00—Burglar, theft or intruder alarms
    • G08B13/18—Actuation by interference with heat, light, or radiation of shorter wavelength; Actuation by intruding sources of heat, light, or radiation of shorter wavelength
    • G08B13/189—Actuation by interference with heat, light, or radiation of shorter wavelength; Actuation by intruding sources of heat, light, or radiation of shorter wavelength using passive radiation detection systems
    • G08B13/194—Actuation by interference with heat, light, or radiation of shorter wavelength; Actuation by intruding sources of heat, light, or radiation of shorter wavelength using passive radiation detection systems using image scanning and comparing systems
    • G08B13/196—Actuation by interference with heat, light, or radiation of shorter wavelength; Actuation by intruding sources of heat, light, or radiation of shorter wavelength using passive radiation detection systems using image scanning and comparing systems using television cameras
    • G08B13/19697—Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an apparatus for monitoring horizontal level. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus which shoots and stores an image when the horizontal level is changed.
  • a conventional level meter 100 is generally formed by injecting conductive mercury 104 into a closed container 102, and disposing an electrode couple 106 on the side wall of the container above the surface of the mercury 104.
  • the driving circuit 110 of an electronic product coupled to the electrode couple 106 automatically turns off its power supply, so as to prevent the electronic product being unexpectedly damaged in a tilting state.
  • the object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for monitoring horizontal level including a horizontal monitor and a recording device.
  • the apparatus can sense changes in the horizontal position caused by shaking and shoot and record an image, so as to achieve the purpose of monitoring.
  • the present invention provides an apparatus for monitoring horizontal level including a horizontal monitor and a recording device.
  • the horizontal monitor outputs a trigger signal according to a change of tilting angle.
  • the recording device shoots and stores an image after receiving the trigger signal.
  • the above-mentioned apparatus for monitoring horizontal level further includes a light-emitting diode (LED), a horizontal sensor, an evaluator and an alarm device.
  • the LED is used to indicate whether the horizontal monitor has entered a stable state
  • the horizontal sensor detects the current tilting angle
  • the evaluator determines whether a trigger signal should be output according to the difference between the current tilting angle and the stable tilting angle
  • the alarm device provides an alarm after receiving the trigger signal.
  • the recording device further includes a monitoring camera and a storage device, wherein the recording device shoots and records an image in the storage device after receiving the trigger signal.
  • Fig. IA is a schematic sectional view of a conventional level meter in a horizontal state.
  • Fig. IB is a schematic sectional view of a conventional level meter in a tilting state.
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus for monitoring horizontal level according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 it depicts a schematic block diagram of an apparatus for monitoring horizontal level according to the embodiment of the present invention.
  • the apparatus for monitoring horizontal level 200 includes a horizontal monitor 210 and a recording device 220.
  • the horizontal monitor 210 outputs a trigger signal according to the change of the current tilting angle, while the recording device 220 shoots and stores an image after receiving the trigger signal.
  • the horizontal monitor 210 outputs a trigger signal according to the change of the current tilting angle, while the recording device 220 shoots and stores an image after receiving the trigger signal.
  • the 210 further includes a horizontal sensor 211 and an evaluator 212.
  • the horizontal sensor 211 and an evaluator 212.
  • the evaluator 212 is used to evaluate the difference between the current tilting angle and the stable tilting angle after entering the stable state according to a preset condition, wherein a trigger signal is output if the above difference is larger than a threshold value.
  • a trigger signal is output if the above difference is larger than a threshold value.
  • Option 1 When the current tilting angle (for example 15 degrees) remains unchanged in a preset period of time (for example three minutes), the evaluator enters a stable state, and at this time the current tilting angle is set as the stable tilting angle, which is 15 degrees in this example.
  • a preset period of time for example three minutes
  • Option 2 A tilting angle (for example 30 degrees) is preset first, wherein if the current tilting angle is also 30 degrees, the evaluator enters a stable state, and at this time the stable tilting angle is set as the preset tilting angle, which is 30 degrees in this example.
  • Option 3 Whether the evaluator enters a stable state or not is directly determined by a user, and at this time the stable tilting angle is determined by the user through a calibration step.
  • the horizontal monitor 210 can monitor the change of horizontal level by means of electronic detection, which differs from the conventional way of physically or mechanically detecting the horizontal level.
  • the operating process of the apparatus for monitoring horizontal level according to the embodiment of the present invention is as follows: after the horizontal monitor 210 enters a stable state, the LED 213 coupled to the horizontal monitor 210 emits light to indicate that the horizontal monitor 210 has entered a stable state. A stable tilting angle is determined by one of the above three methods for setting a stable tilting angle.
  • the horizontal sensor 211 detects the current state to obtain a current tilting angle. Once the difference between the current tilting angle obtained by the horizontal sensor and the stable tilting angle is larger than a threshold value (for example 20 degrees, which may be set by a user) caused by factors such as shaking, the evaluator 212 outputs a trigger signal.
  • the alarm device 230 in the apparatus for monitoring horizontal level 200 provides an alarm (in this embodiment, the alarm device 230 can provide an alarm by sound or light, or both sound and light simultaneously), and meanwhile the trigger signal is sent to the recording device 220 (which further includes a monitoring camera 221 and a storage device 222).
  • the monitoring camera 221 shoots and stores an image in the storage device 222.
  • the storage device 222 can be a hard disk or a memory card, and can be installed at a remote end, for example, connected to a wireless network, so as to avoid being stolen or damaged in situ.
  • the horizontal monitor 210 can also output a jolting direction according to the change of the current tilting angle, and the jolting direction is received and recorded by the recording device 220, so as to figure out the orientation of the source of the shake. As such, the state when the shake occurs can be analyzed, which is helpful for restoring the process when the shake occurs.
  • the evaluator 212 outputs a trigger signal.
  • the threshold value can be set to ignore a small shake, for example, when the apparatus is mounted in a car, the slight shake occurring during the running time can be ignored.
  • the present invention can be applied to many fields, for example, it can be installed in a safe. When someone intends to damage the safe, the horizontal level will change, and at this time the apparatus for monitoring horizontal level will be triggered to alarm, and shoot and store the image of the whole process.
  • the apparatus of the present invention can also be mounted, for example, in a car. When someone tries to break into the car, the horizontal level will change, and at this time the apparatus for monitoring horizontal level will be triggered to alarm and record the whole process.
  • the present invention adopts an electronic way to monitor horizontal level, which differs from the physical or mechanical principles adopted in the conventional art. By comparison, the present invention can achieve higher precision in detecting the horizontal level.
  • the present invention can set the conditions for the horizontal monitor to enter a stable state and the conditions for setting the stable tilting angle, and thereby it is more flexible to meet the demands of different situations.
  • the present invention further comprises a recording device for recording the current situation when the horizontal level is unexpectedly changed, thereby facilitating the analysis of the process afterwards and providing a piece of evidence.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
  • Remote Sensing (AREA)
  • Closed-Circuit Television Systems (AREA)

Abstract

An apparatus for monitoring horizontal level is disclosed. The apparatus includes a horizontal monitor and a recording device. The horizontal monitor outputs a trigger signal according to the change of the current tilting angle. The recording device shoots and stores an image after receiving the trigger signal.

Description

APPARATUS FOR MONITORING HORIZONTAL LEVEL
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for monitoring horizontal level. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus which shoots and stores an image when the horizontal level is changed.
Description of Related Art
[0002] In the conventional art, the operating principle of a level meter used for detecting horizontal level includes utilizing mercury and so on. As shown in Fig. IA, a conventional level meter 100 is generally formed by injecting conductive mercury 104 into a closed container 102, and disposing an electrode couple 106 on the side wall of the container above the surface of the mercury 104. Referring to Fig. IB, when the level meter 100 is tilted or shaken, the mercury 104 will overlay the electrode couple 106, thus resulting in a short circuit. At this time, the driving circuit 110 of an electronic product coupled to the electrode couple 106 automatically turns off its power supply, so as to prevent the electronic product being unexpectedly damaged in a tilting state. However, as mercury is a highly dangerous toxic substance, the environment will be contaminated if the wasted mercury is not disposed of properly. Furthermore, as the conventional art fails to address how to shoot or record the current image when a tilt or jolt occurs, the purpose of monitoring cannot be achieved. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] In view of the above, the object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for monitoring horizontal level including a horizontal monitor and a recording device. The apparatus can sense changes in the horizontal position caused by shaking and shoot and record an image, so as to achieve the purpose of monitoring.
[0004] In order to achieve the above and other objects, the present invention provides an apparatus for monitoring horizontal level including a horizontal monitor and a recording device. The horizontal monitor outputs a trigger signal according to a change of tilting angle. The recording device shoots and stores an image after receiving the trigger signal.
[0005] According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned apparatus for monitoring horizontal level further includes a light-emitting diode (LED), a horizontal sensor, an evaluator and an alarm device. The LED is used to indicate whether the horizontal monitor has entered a stable state, the horizontal sensor detects the current tilting angle, the evaluator determines whether a trigger signal should be output according to the difference between the current tilting angle and the stable tilting angle, and the alarm device provides an alarm after receiving the trigger signal. Additionally, the recording device further includes a monitoring camera and a storage device, wherein the recording device shoots and records an image in the storage device after receiving the trigger signal.
[0006] In order to make the aforementioned and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention more comprehensible, a preferred embodiment accompanied with figures is described in detail below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] Fig. IA is a schematic sectional view of a conventional level meter in a horizontal state.
[0008] Fig. IB is a schematic sectional view of a conventional level meter in a tilting state.
[0009] Fig. 2 is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus for monitoring horizontal level according to an embodiment of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS [0010] First, referring to Fig. 2, it depicts a schematic block diagram of an apparatus for monitoring horizontal level according to the embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus for monitoring horizontal level 200 includes a horizontal monitor 210 and a recording device 220. The horizontal monitor 210 outputs a trigger signal according to the change of the current tilting angle, while the recording device 220 shoots and stores an image after receiving the trigger signal. The horizontal monitor
210 further includes a horizontal sensor 211 and an evaluator 212. The horizontal sensor
211 is used to detect the current state, so as to obtain the current tilting angle. The evaluator 212 is used to evaluate the difference between the current tilting angle and the stable tilting angle after entering the stable state according to a preset condition, wherein a trigger signal is output if the above difference is larger than a threshold value. There are three options for entering a stable state and setting a stable tilting angle, which are described below as Option 1, Option 2 and Option 3.
[0011] Option 1: When the current tilting angle (for example 15 degrees) remains unchanged in a preset period of time (for example three minutes), the evaluator enters a stable state, and at this time the current tilting angle is set as the stable tilting angle, which is 15 degrees in this example.
[0012] Option 2: A tilting angle (for example 30 degrees) is preset first, wherein if the current tilting angle is also 30 degrees, the evaluator enters a stable state, and at this time the stable tilting angle is set as the preset tilting angle, which is 30 degrees in this example.
[0013] Option 3: Whether the evaluator enters a stable state or not is directly determined by a user, and at this time the stable tilting angle is determined by the user through a calibration step. [0014] In the embodiment of the present invention, the horizontal monitor 210 can monitor the change of horizontal level by means of electronic detection, which differs from the conventional way of physically or mechanically detecting the horizontal level. [0015] The operating process of the apparatus for monitoring horizontal level according to the embodiment of the present invention is as follows: after the horizontal monitor 210 enters a stable state, the LED 213 coupled to the horizontal monitor 210 emits light to indicate that the horizontal monitor 210 has entered a stable state. A stable tilting angle is determined by one of the above three methods for setting a stable tilting angle. The horizontal sensor 211 detects the current state to obtain a current tilting angle. Once the difference between the current tilting angle obtained by the horizontal sensor and the stable tilting angle is larger than a threshold value (for example 20 degrees, which may be set by a user) caused by factors such as shaking, the evaluator 212 outputs a trigger signal. At this time the alarm device 230 in the apparatus for monitoring horizontal level 200 provides an alarm (in this embodiment, the alarm device 230 can provide an alarm by sound or light, or both sound and light simultaneously), and meanwhile the trigger signal is sent to the recording device 220 (which further includes a monitoring camera 221 and a storage device 222). The monitoring camera 221 shoots and stores an image in the storage device 222. In this embodiment, the storage device 222 can be a hard disk or a memory card, and can be installed at a remote end, for example, connected to a wireless network, so as to avoid being stolen or damaged in situ. Furthermore, the horizontal monitor 210 can also output a jolting direction according to the change of the current tilting angle, and the jolting direction is received and recorded by the recording device 220, so as to figure out the orientation of the source of the shake. As such, the state when the shake occurs can be analyzed, which is helpful for restoring the process when the shake occurs.
[0016] It has been mentioned above that when the difference between the current tilting angle obtained by the horizontal sensor 211 and the stable tilting angle is larger than the threshold value, the evaluator 212 outputs a trigger signal. The threshold value can be set to ignore a small shake, for example, when the apparatus is mounted in a car, the slight shake occurring during the running time can be ignored.
[0017] The present invention can be applied to many fields, for example, it can be installed in a safe. When someone intends to damage the safe, the horizontal level will change, and at this time the apparatus for monitoring horizontal level will be triggered to alarm, and shoot and store the image of the whole process. The apparatus of the present invention can also be mounted, for example, in a car. When someone tries to break into the car, the horizontal level will change, and at this time the apparatus for monitoring horizontal level will be triggered to alarm and record the whole process. [0018] In view of the above, as the present invention adopts an electronic way to monitor horizontal level, which differs from the physical or mechanical principles adopted in the conventional art. By comparison, the present invention can achieve higher precision in detecting the horizontal level. Besides, the present invention can set the conditions for the horizontal monitor to enter a stable state and the conditions for setting the stable tilting angle, and thereby it is more flexible to meet the demands of different situations. Moreover, the present invention further comprises a recording device for recording the current situation when the horizontal level is unexpectedly changed, thereby facilitating the analysis of the process afterwards and providing a piece of evidence.
[0019] Though the present invention has been disclosed above by a preferred embodiment, this is not intended to limit the invention. Anybody skilled in the art can make some modifications and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the protecting range of the invention falls in the appended claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. An apparatus for monitoring horizontal level, comprising: a horizontal monitor, for outputting a trigger signal according to the change of a current tilting angle; and a recording device, for shooting and storing an image data after receiving the trigger signal.
2. The apparatus for monitoring horizontal level as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the horizontal monitor outputs the trigger signal after entering a stable state and when the difference between the current tilting angle and a stable tilting angle is larger than a threshold value.
3. The apparatus for monitoring horizontal level as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the horizontal monitor comprises: a horizontal sensor, for providing the current tilting angle; and an evaluator, entering the stable state according to a preset condition, and outputting the trigger signal after entering the stable state and when the difference between the current tilting angle and the stable tilting angle is larger than the threshold value.
4. The apparatus for monitoring horizontal level as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the preset condition is that if the current tilting angle remains unchanged in a preset period of time, the evaluator enters the stable state, and at this time the stable tilting angle is set as the current tilting angle.
5. The apparatus for monitoring horizontal level as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the preset condition is that if the current tilting angle is identical to a preset tilting angle, the evaluator enters the stable state, and at this time the stable tilting angle is set as the preset tilting angle.
6. The apparatus for monitoring horizontal level as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the preset condition is that the evaluator enters the stable state under the operation of a user, and at this time the stable tilting angle is set by the user.
7. The apparatus for monitoring horizontal level as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the stable tilting angle is set by the user through a calibration step.
8. The apparatus for monitoring horizontal level as claimed in Claim 2, further comprising: a light-emitting diode (LED), coupled to the horizontal monitor, for indicating whether the horizontal monitor has entered the stable state.
9. The apparatus for monitoring horizontal level as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the threshold value is set by a user.
10. The apparatus for monitoring horizontal level as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the recording device comprises: a monitoring camera, for shooting and providing the image data; and a storage device, for receiving and storing the image data.
11. The apparatus for monitoring horizontal level as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the storage device is a hard disk.
12. The apparatus for monitoring horizontal level as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the storage device is a memory card.
13. The apparatus for monitoring horizontal level as claimed in Claim 1, further comprising: an alarm device for providing an alarm upon receiving the trigger signal.
14. The apparatus for monitoring horizontal level as claimed in Claim 13, wherein the alarm is provided by sound.
15. The apparatus for monitoring horizontal level as claimed in Claim 13, wherein the alarm is provided by light.
16. The apparatus for monitoring horizontal level as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the horizontal monitor also outputs a jolting direction according to the change of the current tilting angle, and the jolting direction is received and recorded by the recording device.
PCT/CN2006/000894 2006-04-30 2006-04-30 Apparatus for monitoring horizontal level WO2007128161A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/CN2006/000894 WO2007128161A1 (en) 2006-04-30 2006-04-30 Apparatus for monitoring horizontal level

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/CN2006/000894 WO2007128161A1 (en) 2006-04-30 2006-04-30 Apparatus for monitoring horizontal level

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2007128161A1 true WO2007128161A1 (en) 2007-11-15

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PCT/CN2006/000894 WO2007128161A1 (en) 2006-04-30 2006-04-30 Apparatus for monitoring horizontal level

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Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0837304A1 (en) * 1996-10-17 1998-04-22 Christof Ruhnke Apparatus for monitoring the level of a liquid medium in a container, especially for a bathtub
US6023971A (en) * 1997-09-30 2000-02-15 Swartz; Harold L. Angle sensor and monitoring circuit
CN1659420A (en) * 2002-06-07 2005-08-24 莱卡地球系统公开股份有限公司 Optical inclinometer

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0837304A1 (en) * 1996-10-17 1998-04-22 Christof Ruhnke Apparatus for monitoring the level of a liquid medium in a container, especially for a bathtub
US6023971A (en) * 1997-09-30 2000-02-15 Swartz; Harold L. Angle sensor and monitoring circuit
CN1659420A (en) * 2002-06-07 2005-08-24 莱卡地球系统公开股份有限公司 Optical inclinometer

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