WO2018169349A1 - Radiometer and operating method thereof, and monitoring system using same - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed are a radiometer and an operating method thereof, and a monitoring system using the same. The disclosed radiometer according to one embodiment comprises: a first antenna; a second antenna installed to have a radiation pattern, the direction of which differs from that of a radiation pattern of the first antenna; a signal processing unit for detecting a voltage level corresponding to a first radiated radio-wave received by the first antenna and a voltage level corresponding to a second radiated radio-wave received by the second antenna; and a signal analysis unit for detecting a temperature change of a target that the first antenna faces, on the basis of the voltage level corresponding to the first radiated radio-wave and the voltage level corresponding to the second radiated radio-wave. Also, a monitoring method according to one embodiment comprises the steps of: generating an output voltage corresponding to the brightness temperature of an object inside or outside a structure, by each of multiple ultrahigh frequency radiometers arranged to be spaced from one another at predetermined intervals within a set distance from the structure; receiving, by a server, a signal related to the output voltage from each of the multiple ultrahigh frequency radiometers; and determining, by the server, whether the object is a human being or flame, on the basis of a pattern of the signal related to the output voltage of each of the ultrahigh frequency radiometers according to lapse of time.

Description

Radiometer and its operation method and monitoring system using the same

Embodiments of the present invention relate to radiometers and monitoring techniques using the same.

In general, in the ultra-high frequency band (300 MHz to 300 GHz), the total power radiometer is used as a passive sensor because of its simple structure. For example, the radiometer is used as a fire detection sensor. Here, the radiometer has a problem in that reliability is lowered as a fire detection sensor because the temperature resolution is lowered when the gain characteristic of the components in the radiometer changes with time.

Conventionally, to solve this problem and to realize excellent temperature resolution, a Dicke radiometer or a Noise Added radiometer has been used. However, these high frequency band radiometers must use expensive noise sources and must have a relatively high voltage power supply of 15V to 28V and a relatively complex analog / digital processing device to control the noise source. Therefore, there is a need for a method capable of compensating the effect of the change in gain of the radiometer without a separate noise source.

On the other hand, in the case of structures with high social and cultural value or high security, such as cultural assets, due to the risk of damage or theft of security items by fire or intruders, such as infrared or visible light cameras around the structure Surveillance devices will be deployed to monitor the structure.

However, such surveillance devices are likely to be disabled by intruders when placed inside the structure. In addition, when a fire occurs in a wooden structure surrounded by an outer wall, the conventional infrared fire detection device cannot easily detect a fire occurring inside the wooden structure, and an infrared fire detection device mounted outdoors is fog, It is greatly affected by climates such as bad weather such as rain.

In addition, as a fire detection sensor, a monitoring device that can be used even in bad weather can be implemented by using a sub-millimeter wave (10 GHz to 30 GHz) band or a millimeter wave (30 GHz to 300 GHz) band that has a much longer wavelength than infrared rays. In order for the antenna of the radiometer to have a high gain, the antenna of the radiometer must have a narrow beam width. In this case, the range of the sensing area by the antenna is limited.

In order to solve this problem, a method of monitoring a structure through a beam scan method has been discussed, but in this case, the antenna gazes as the gaze angle of the antenna changes due to the beam scan due to the material, complex shape, and indoor items of the structure. The reflectance of the target is changed, which may cause a problem such as a change in the magnitude of the voltage output from the microwave radiometer. This soon leads to the generation of false alarms.

An embodiment of the present invention is to provide a radiometer, a method of operating the same and a monitoring system using the same that can maintain a constant temperature resolution without a separate noise source.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a radiometer capable of efficiently monitoring a structure using a plurality of radiometers having a high gain antenna, a method of operating the same, and a monitoring system using the same.

In one embodiment, a radiometer includes: a first antenna; A second antenna provided differently in direction of the first antenna from the radiation pattern; A signal processor detecting a voltage level corresponding to a first radiation propagation received from the first antenna and a voltage level corresponding to a second radiation propagation received from the second antenna; And a signal analyzer configured to detect a temperature change of a target to which the first antenna is directed based on the voltage level corresponding to the first radiation propagation and the voltage level corresponding to the second radiation propagation.

The first antenna, the radiation pattern direction is installed toward the target to detect the temperature change, the second antenna, the radiation pattern direction is an object having an absolute temperature of the same range as the room where the radiometer is installed It may be installed to face.

The radiometer includes: a first switch connected to the first antenna and the signal processor, the first switch being turned on according to a switching control signal to transfer the first radiation wave received from the first antenna to the signal processor; A second switch connected to the second antenna and the signal processor, the second switch being turned on according to a switching control signal to transfer second radiation radio waves received from the second antenna to the signal processor; And a switch controller configured to control operations of the first switch and the second switch.

The switch controller may be configured to periodically turn on the first switch and the second switch.

The period in which the first switch and the second switch are turned on alternately may be set such that a gain change of the radiometer is equal to or less than a preset threshold change value.

The temperature resolution ΔT of the radiometer may be approximated by the following equation.

(Mathematical formula)

D: Duty ratio of the first switch

T _SYS : equivalent temperature of the entire system of the radiometer

τ _int : time at which the first or second radiation propagates in the integrator in the radiometer

B: band of intermediate frequency in the radiometer

G _SYS : Gain of the entire system of the radiometer

ΔG _SYS : change in gain of the overall system of the radiometer during the first switch on since the second switch is on

Surveillance system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a radiometer for detecting whether a fire occurs by detecting a temperature change of the target; And an alarm device that transmits a fire occurrence signal to the outside when detecting a fire occurrence in the radio meter, the radio meter comprising: a first antenna; A second antenna provided differently in direction of the first antenna from the radiation pattern; A signal processor detecting a voltage level corresponding to a first radiation propagation received from the first antenna and a voltage level corresponding to a second radiation propagation received from the second antenna; And a signal analyzer configured to detect a temperature change of the target to which the first antenna is directed based on the voltage level corresponding to the first radiation propagation and the voltage level corresponding to the second radiation propagation.

The first antenna, the radiation pattern direction is installed toward the target to detect the temperature change, the second antenna, the radiation pattern direction is an object having an absolute temperature of the same range as the room where the radiometer is installed It may be installed to face.

The radiometer includes: a first switch connected to the first antenna and the signal processor, the first switch being turned on according to a switching control signal to transfer the first radiation wave received from the first antenna to the signal processor; A second switch connected to the second antenna and the signal processor, the second switch being turned on according to a switching control signal to transfer second radiation radio waves received from the second antenna to the signal processor; And a switch controller configured to control operations of the first switch and the second switch.

The switch controller may be configured to periodically turn on the first switch and the second switch.

The period in which the first switch and the second switch are turned on alternately may be set such that a gain change of the radiometer is equal to or less than a preset threshold change value.

A method of operating a radiometer in accordance with one disclosed embodiment is a method performed in a computing device having one or more processors and a memory storing one or more programs executed by the one or more processors, the first antenna Detecting a voltage level corresponding to the first radiation propagation received from the device; Detecting a voltage level corresponding to second radiation propagation received from a second antenna having a different direction of radiation pattern from the first antenna; And detecting a temperature change of a target to which the first antenna is directed based on the voltage level corresponding to the first radiation propagation and the voltage level corresponding to the second radiation propagation.

The first antenna, the radiation pattern direction is installed toward the target to detect the temperature change, the second antenna, the radiation pattern direction is an object having an absolute temperature of the same range as the room where the radiometer is installed It may be installed to face.

The method of operating the radiometer further includes controlling an operation of a first switch connected to the first antenna and a second switch connected to the second antenna, and the controlling of the radiometer comprises: And the second switch may be periodically turned on alternately.

The period in which the first switch and the second switch are turned on alternately may be set such that a gain change of the radiometer is equal to or less than a preset threshold change value.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a plurality of monitoring systems may be disposed at predetermined intervals within a predetermined distance from a structure, and each of the plurality of output voltages may generate an output voltage corresponding to a brightness temperature of an object inside or outside the structure. Microwave radiometers; And a server configured to receive signals related to the output voltage from the plurality of microwave radiometers, and to determine whether the object is a person or a flame from a pattern of signals related to the output voltage for each microwave radiometer over time. It includes.

The microwave radiometer may include an antenna for sensing a brightness temperature of the object, and the antenna may have a beam width below a threshold value so that the antenna has a gain equal to or greater than a set value.

Each of the antennas may be fixed to the microwave radiometer to face different areas located inside or outside the structure.

The server may determine that the object is a person when output voltages of a predetermined magnitude or more are sequentially detected by two or more microwave radio meters disposed adjacent to each other.

If it is determined that the object is a human, the server sequentially connects positions of regions corresponding to each of the microwave radiometers on which the output voltage of the set magnitude or more is detected according to the detection order of the output voltage of the set magnitude or more. I can understand the movement line.

The server may determine that the object is a flame when an output voltage of a predetermined magnitude or more is continuously detected for a predetermined time in two or more microwave radiometers.

If it is determined that the object is a person or a flame, the server may transmit a notification message to the manager terminal.

The microwave radiometer may be disposed outside the structure.

The structure may be a non-metal structure surrounding the object by an outer wall.

According to the disclosed embodiment, the first antenna is installed toward the target, the second antenna is installed toward an object having the same or similar absolute temperature as the room, and alternately radiates from the first antenna and the second antenna at predetermined intervals. By receiving the radio waves, it is possible to compensate for the effect of the change in gain of the components in the radiometer and to prevent the radiometer's temperature resolution from being lowered.

That is, the radiometer according to the disclosed embodiment can ignore the effect of the gain change in the radiometer's temperature resolution without a separate noise source, so that the temperature resolution can be kept constant while being cheap and simple. do. In addition, by changing the duty ratio (D) of the first switch, it is possible to adjust the temperature resolution of the radiometer.

In addition, it is possible to quickly detect the intruder in the structure from the pattern of the output voltage for each microwave radiometer over time, and to detect the intruder's copper wire in real time and respond quickly to the intrusion of the structure.

In addition, it is possible to easily distinguish a person from the flame inside or outside the structure from the pattern of the output voltage for each microwave radiometer over time, thereby significantly improving the false detection rate of fire detection.

In addition, when a fire occurs in a wood structure surrounding the object by the outer wall, a fire generated in the wood structure cannot be easily detected by a conventional infrared fire detection device, but according to embodiments of the present invention, structure monitoring In the case of the system, a microwave radiometer can be used to easily detect fires in wooden structures, and the fire detection will not be affected by weather such as bad weather.

In addition, unlike conventional infrared or visible light cameras, the intrusion of the structure is detected through a microwave radiometer outside the structure, and the intruder disables the monitoring device because the intruder is physically isolated from the monitoring device, that is, the microwave radiometer. There is an advantage that can not be.

1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a radiometer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a view showing the configuration of a fire detection system using a radiometer according to an embodiment of the present invention

3 and 4 schematically show a structure monitoring system according to other embodiments of the present invention.

5 is a view for explaining the antenna 204 of the ultra-high frequency radio meter 202 in another embodiment of the present invention.

6 is an exemplary view showing a pattern of a signal relating to an output voltage for each ultra-high frequency radio meter 202 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an exemplary diagram for describing a process of identifying a moving line of a person according to the pattern of signals shown in FIG. 6 in the server 206 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

8 is another exemplary view showing a pattern of a signal relating to an output voltage of each microwave radio meter 102 in another embodiment of the present invention.

9 is a flowchart illustrating a structure monitoring method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

10 is a block diagram illustrating and describing a computing environment including a computing device suitable for use in example embodiments.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following detailed description is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of the methods, devices, and / or systems described herein. However, this is only an example and the present invention is not limited thereto.

In describing the embodiments of the present invention, when it is determined that the detailed description of the known technology related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, terms to be described below are terms defined in consideration of functions in the present invention, which may vary according to the intention or custom of a user or an operator. Therefore, the definition should be made based on the contents throughout the specification. The terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing embodiments of the invention only and should not be limiting. Unless expressly used otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural forms of meaning. In this description, expressions such as "comprises" or "equipment" are intended to indicate certain features, numbers, steps, actions, elements, portions or combinations thereof, and one or more than those described. It should not be construed to exclude the presence or possibility of other features, numbers, steps, actions, elements, portions or combinations thereof.

In the following description, the terms "transfer", "communication", "transmit", "receive" and other similar meanings of signals or information are not only meant to directly convey the signal or information from one component to another. It also includes passing through other components. In particular, "transmitting" or "sending" a signal or information to a component indicates the final destination of the signal or information and does not mean a direct destination. The same is true for the "reception" of a signal or information. In addition, in this specification, that two or more pieces of data or information are "related" means that if one data (or information) is obtained, at least a portion of the other data (or information) can be obtained based thereon.

Meanwhile, directional terms such as upper side, lower side, one side, the other side, and the like are used in connection with the orientation of the disclosed drawings. Since the components of the embodiments of the present invention can be positioned in various orientations, the directional terminology is used for the purpose of illustration and not limitation.

In addition, terms such as first and second may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The terms may be used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another component. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first component may be referred to as the second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as the first component.

1 is a view showing the configuration of a radiometer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the radiometer 100 includes a first antenna 102, a second antenna 104, a first switch 106, a second switch 108, a first signal processor 110, and a second antenna. The signal processor 112, the signal analyzer 114, and the switch controller 116 may be included.

As the main antenna, the first antenna 102 may be installed toward a target (predetermined region or object) to detect a temperature change through the radiometer 100. In an exemplary embodiment, the first antenna 102 may be installed toward the target to monitor the fire occurrence through the radiometer 100.

The second antenna 104 is a sub-antenna, and may be installed toward an object (eg, a wall surface of the room) 10 having an absolute temperature in the same range as that of the room where the radiometer 100 is installed. Here, the absolute temperature of the range of identity may not only be exactly the same numerically, but also include a temperature within a preset error range. That is, in the disclosed embodiment, the radiation pattern of the first antenna 102 is directed through the radiometer 100 toward the target to be detected a temperature change, and the radiation pattern of the second antenna 104 is radiometer ( 100 may be installed to face an object having an absolute temperature in the same range as the installed room.

The first switch 106 may be provided between the first antenna 102 and the first signal processor 110. The first contact point of the first switch 106 may be connected to the first antenna 102, and the second contact point of the first switch 106 may be connected to an input terminal of the first signal processing unit 110. The first switch 106 may be operated by the control of the switch controller 116. The first switch 106 transmits the radio wave received from the first antenna 102 according to the switching control signal of the switch controller 116 (hereinafter, referred to as a first radiation wave) to the first signal processor 110. Can be delivered to.

The second switch 108 may be provided between the second antenna 104 and the first signal processor 110. The first contact of the second switch 108 may be connected to the second antenna 104, and the second contact of the second switch 108 may be connected to an input terminal of the first signal processor 110. The second switch 108 may be operated by the control of the switch controller 116. The second switch 108 transmits the radiation propagation (hereinafter, referred to as a second radiation propagation) received from the second antenna 104 according to the switching control signal of the switch controller 116. Can be delivered to.

Here, the first switch 106 and the second switch 108 may alternately transfer the first radiation wave and the second radiation wave to the first signal processor 110 under the control of the switch controller 116. The first radiation propagation and the second radiation propagation are signal processed through the same channel (that is, the first signal processing unit 110 and the second signal processing unit 112).

The first signal processor 110 may be included in the radiation wave received from the first antenna 102 (ie, the first radiation wave) or the radiation wave received from the second antenna 104 (ie, the second radiation wave). The noise may be removed and the frequency of the first radiation propagation or the second radiation propagation may be down converted. The first signal processor 110 may be implemented as a low noise block downconverter (LBN) module.

In an exemplary embodiment, the first signal processing unit 110 may include a low noise amplifier (LNA) 110a for low noise amplifying the first radiation wave or the second radiation wave, a first radiation wave output from the LNA 110a, or a first signal. A mixer 110b for downconverting the frequency of the two radiation radio waves, and a phase locked loop (PLL) 110c for generating a local oscillator (LO) signal to the mixer 110b. Since the first signal processor 110 is already known, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The second signal processor 112 band-pass filters a power signal proportional to the first radiation propagation or a power signal proportional to the second radiation propagation output from the first signal processor 110 and detects a voltage level corresponding thereto. can do. In one embodiment, the second signal processor 112 is a buffer for receiving the down-frequency converted power signal proportional to the first radiation or the down-frequency converted power signal in proportion to the second radiation (from the mixer 110b) 112a), a band pass filter 112b for filtering the power signal for the first radiation propagation or the power signal for the second radiation propagation output from the buffer 112a, the downward proportional to the first radiation propagation or the second radiation propagation The detector 112c may detect a voltage level corresponding to each frequency-converted power signal, and the integrator 112d may accumulate an output voltage of the detector by a first radiation propagation or a second radiation propagation for a predetermined time. . Since the second signal processor 112 is a known configuration, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The signal analyzer 114 may face the first antenna 102 based on a difference between a voltage level corresponding to the first radiation propagation output from the second signal processor 112 and a voltage level corresponding to the second radiation propagation. The change in temperature of the target can be detected.

The switch controller 116 may control on / off operations of the first switch 106 and the second switch 108. The switch controller 116 may control the first switch 106 and the second switch 108 to be alternately turned on. That is, the switch controller 116 turns on the first switch 106 for a predetermined time (at this time, the second switch 108 is in an off state), and then turns on the second switch 108 for a predetermined time ( At this time, the first switch 106 is in an off state), this process may be repeated periodically.

Here, the period in which the first switch 106 and the second switch 108 are alternately turned on is the time at which the change in gain of the radiometer 100 hardly occurs (for example, 10 msec to 1 sec). Period of time). The period in which the first switch 106 and the second switch 108 are alternately turned on may be set such that a gain change of the radiometer 100 is equal to or less than a preset threshold change value. In this case, the preset threshold change value may be set in consideration of the environment in which the radiometer 100 is installed and the characteristics of the components in the radiometer 100 within a limit that does not substantially affect the temperature resolution of the radiometer 100. .

In an exemplary embodiment, the period in which the first switch 106 and the second switch 108 are alternately turned on is the integral constant of the integrator 112d of the radiometer 100 (ie, the radiation propagates in the integrator). Time)). The switch controller 116 may adjust the on-operation time of the first switch 106 and the on-operation time of the second switch 108 through a duty ratio within one period.

According to the disclosed embodiment, the first antenna 102 is installed toward the target, the second antenna 104 is installed toward an object having an absolute temperature in the same range as the room, and the first antenna 102 at a predetermined cycle. By alternately receiving radiation from the second antenna 104 and the second antenna 104, it is possible to compensate for the effect of the gain change of the components in the radiometer 100 to prevent the temperature resolution of the radiometer 100 from being lowered. do.

In more detail, the temperature resolution ΔT of a general radiometer may be expressed by Equation 1 below.

[Equation 1]

Where T _SYS represents the equivalent temperature of the entire radiometer system, τ _int represents the time for which radiated radio waves from the antenna accumulate in the integrator, B represents the bandwidth of the intermediate frequency, and G _SYS represents the total radiometer system ΔG _SYS represents the gain change of the radiometer's entire system.

Since the components in the radiometer (eg amplifiers) receive heat over time and the gain changes, the gain change of the radiometer's entire system increases over time, thereby increasing the radiometer's gain. The temperature resolution is lowered.

In the embodiment disclosed herein, the first antenna 102 is installed toward the target side to detect the temperature change, the second antenna 104 is installed toward an object having a temperature equal to or similar to the room temperature, By alternately receiving radiated radio waves from the first antenna 102 and the second antenna 104 at a set period, it is possible to ignore the gain change of the entire system of the radiometer 100 with the change of time.

In the exemplary embodiment, first switch 106 and the second during the period switch 108 is being turned on operates as a shift τ _p is called, and (e.g., τ _p may be the 1sec) 0.5 τ _p When the first switch 106 is turned on and the second switch 108 is turned on for 0.5 τ _p , the output voltage Vout_ corresponding to the radiation propagation (that is, the second radiation propagation) received from the second antenna 104. _REF ) may be represented by Equation 2 below.

[Equation 2]

Where α represents the sensitivity of the detector 112c of the radiometer 100, G represents the gain of the entire system of the radiometer 100, and e _ref represents the object of the object to which the second antenna 104 is directed. Represents emissivity, F represents the noise figure of the radiometer 100, and T ₀ represents room temperature (ie, 290 K). And, T _p represents the temperature of the room in which the radiometer 100 is installed, k represents the Boltzman constant, and B represents the intermediate frequency band of the radiometer 100.

When the gain of the entire system of the radiometer 100 changes by ΔG after 0.5 τ _p , the output voltage Vout_ corresponding to the radiation propagation (that is, the first radiation propagation) received from the first antenna 102. _TARGET ) can be represented by Equation 3 below.

[Equation 3]

Here, e _TARGET represents the emissivity of the target to which the first antenna 102 is directed, and ΔG represents the radiometer 100 while the first switch 106 is turned on after the second switch 108 is turned on. It shows the change in gain of the whole system.

At this time, the output voltage of the radiation wave collected from the first antenna 102 (that is, the main antenna) based on the output voltage of the radiation wave collected from the second antenna 104 (that is, the sub-antenna) to a relative value R. Expressed in Equation 4 below.

[Equation 4]

Here, since the time when the first switch 106 is turned on is a very short time difference of 0.5 τ _p (0.25 sec when τ _p is 0.5 sec) from the time when the second switch 108 is turned on, ΔG is almost zero. You get closer. In this case, the difference between the output voltage of the first radiation propagation and the output voltage of the second radiation propagation is the emissivity e _TARGET of the target to which the first antenna 102 faces and the emissivity of the object to which the second antenna 104 faces. _ref ), the gain change of the entire system of the radiometer 100 can be neglected while the first switch 106 is on.

Therefore, the temperature resolution ΔT of the radiometer 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may be represented by Equation 5 below.

[Equation 5]

Here, D represents the duty ratio of the first switch 106.

As such, the radiometer 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention is inexpensive because it can ignore the influence of the gain change ΔG _SYS at the temperature resolution ΔT of the radiometer 100 without a separate noise source. It has a simple structure and keeps the temperature resolution constant. In addition, by changing the duty ratio (D) of the first switch 106, it is possible to adjust the temperature resolution of the radiometer (100).

2 is a view showing the configuration of a fire monitoring system using a radiometer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2, the fire monitoring system 200 may include a radiometer 100, an alarm device 120, and a fire management server 160. The alarm device 120 is communicatively connected with the fire management server 160 through the communication network 150. In example embodiments, communication network 150 may comprise the Internet, one or more local area networks, wire area networks, cellular networks, mobile networks, other types of networks, or such. It can include a combination of networks.

As discussed above, the radiometer 100 includes a first antenna 102 and a second antenna 104. The first antenna 102 may be installed toward the target to monitor the fire occurrence. The second antenna 104 may be installed toward an object having the same or similar absolute temperature as the room where the radiometer 100 is installed. The radiometer 100 may detect whether a target fire occurs based on a difference in voltage levels of radiated radio waves collected alternately from the first antenna 102 and the second antenna 104.

When the alarm device 120 detects a fire occurrence, the alarm device 120 may transmit a fire occurrence signal to the fire management server 160. The fire occurrence signal may include an identification number of the alarm device 120. In addition, the alarm device 120 may alarm the occurrence of a fire. The alarm device 120 may alarm the occurrence of a fire through a speaker and / or lighting. The alarm device 120 may be implemented integrally with the radiometer 100, but is not limited thereto and may be implemented independently of the radiometer 100.

The fire management server 160 may be provided in a public office such as an emergency disaster center or a fire station. The fire management server 160 may be communicatively connected with the plurality of alarm devices 120. The fire management server 160 may extract the identification number of the alarm device 120 from the fire occurrence signal received from the alarm device 120, and identify the location of the fire based on the identification number of the extracted alarm device 120. .

3 and 4 schematically show a structure monitoring system according to other embodiments of the present invention.

3 and 4, the structure monitoring system 200 includes a plurality of microwave radiometers 202 and a server 206. The plurality of microwave radiometers 202 may be communicatively coupled with the server 206 via a communication network.

The microwave radiometer 202 is a device that detects an object (not shown) inside or outside the structure 250. Here, the structure 250 refers to an object (eg, a building, a workpiece, etc.) to be monitored, such as a cultural property or a security building. The structure 250 may be, for example, a non-metallic structure implemented with a non-metallic material such as wood or an earth wall, and may be surrounded by an outer wall of the nonmetallic material. In addition, the object may be, for example, a flame, a person (eg, an invader), or the like, as an object to be detected.

The plurality of microwave radiometers 202 may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance (for example, at 1 meter intervals) within a predetermined distance (for example, 5 meters) from the structure 250. In addition, the plurality of microwave radiometers 202 may be disposed outside the structure 250. In this case, the plurality of microwave radiometers 202 may be arranged in a line or surround the structure 250, for example, in the vicinity of the structure 250.

However, the arrangement of the microwave radiometer 202 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is merely an example, and the arrangement of the microwave radiometer 202 is not limited thereto. 3 and 4, the number of the microwave radiometers 202 is five or six, respectively, for convenience of description, but this is merely an example and the microwave radiometer 202 disposed near the structure 250 is illustrated. The number of is not limited thereto.

The microwave radiometer 202 includes one or more antennas 204, and may sense a brightness temperature of an object through the antenna 204. The brightness temperature T _B of the object may be determined by the absolute temperature T _p and the emissivity e of the object as shown in Equation 6 below.

[Equation 6]

T _B = eT _P

The microwave radiometer 202 may detect the brightness temperature of the object from electromagnetic waves in the microwave band collected by the antenna 204 (for example, 300 MHz to 300 GHz), and generate an output voltage corresponding to the brightness temperature. You can. In this case, the narrower the beam width of the antenna 204, the greater the signal size of the electromagnetic wave generated in the object compared to the electromagnetic wave generated in the background part of the object (that is, the outer part of the object), and accordingly the microwave radiometer The magnitude of the output voltage generated at 202 becomes large.

On the other hand, in the ultra-high frequency band, the flame absorptivity (= emissivity) is known to be low because the absolute temperature is high, but the brightness temperature is not high, while the absolute temperature is not high, but the emissivity is known to be close to 1. Therefore, it is considered to be an important problem to distinguish a person from a flame by using a radiometer of a very high frequency band.

5 is a view for explaining the antenna 204 of the microwave radiometer 202 in another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5A illustrates an antenna having a beam width exceeding a threshold, and FIG. 5B illustrates an antenna 204 having a beam width below a threshold in an embodiment of the present invention. Here, it is assumed that the subject is a flame.

First, referring to FIG. 5 (a), when the beam width of the antenna exceeds a threshold, since the magnitude of the electromagnetic wave generated by the object is a small part of the total received electromagnetic wave due to a small fill factor, The meter will produce a low output voltage (or voltage difference). In this case, it may be difficult to efficiently detect the object because the sensitivity of the antenna is low.

On the other hand, referring to Figure 5 (b), when the beam width of the antenna 204 according to an embodiment of the present invention is less than the threshold, the high-frequency output from the high frequency radio meter 202 due to a large fill factor (FF) Voltage (or voltage difference) is generated. That is, the beam width of the antenna 204 and the gain of the antenna 204 have an inverse relationship. In embodiments of the present invention, the antenna 204 has a beam width below a threshold value so that the antenna 204 has a gain of a predetermined value or more.

However, since the high gain antenna 204 has a narrow beam width, the structure 250 or the object (e.g., flame) to be monitored cannot enter all of the beam width of the antenna 204. Range may be limited. In order to solve this problem, a method of monitoring the structure 250 through a beam scan method may be considered. In this case, the gaze of the antenna 204 according to the beam scan due to the material, the complicated shape, etc. of the structure 250 may be considered. Depending on the angle, the reflectance of the background structure changes, and a problem such as a change in the size of a signal received by the antenna 204 may occur.

This soon leads to the generation of false alarms. Thus, in embodiments of the present invention, the antenna 204 has a beam width below the threshold such that the antenna 204 has a gain (or sensitivity) above a set value, wherein each of the antennas 204 are located inside or outside the structure 250. It is fixed to the microwave radiometer 202 to face the other area.

Referring back to FIG. 3, each of the antennas 204 of the radiometers A through E may be fixed to face different areas located inside or outside the structure 250. For example, antenna 204 of radiometer A is fixed to face area a in structure 250, antenna 204 of radiometer B is fixed to face area b in structure 250, and the radiometer Antenna 204 of C is fixed to face area c in structure 250, antenna 204 of radiometer D is fixed toward area d in structure 250, and antenna 204 of radiometer E May be fixed to face region e in structure 250.

In addition, referring to FIG. 4, each of the antennas 204 of the radiometers A to F may be fixed to face different regions located inside or outside the structure 250.

In this case, each of the antennas 204 may detect the presence of objects in different areas located inside or outside the structure 250, and thus may monitor the entire area of the structure 250. The number or location of the microwave radiometer 202 and the antenna 204 may vary depending on, for example, the overall size of the structure 250, the number and size of the surveillance area inside or outside the structure 250, and the like.

In addition, the plurality of microwave radiometers 202 may generate an output voltage corresponding to the brightness temperature of the object inside or outside the structure 250, and transmit a signal regarding the output voltage to the server 206, respectively. To this end, each microwave radiometer 202 may further comprise a transceiver (not shown) of the Industrial Scientific Medical band (ISM) band used to implement a communication network such as, for example, “Zigbee”. Can be. Each microwave radiometer 202 may transmit a signal related to the output voltage to the server 206 in real time through the transceiver.

The server 206 is a device that determines whether an intrusion or fire has occurred in the structure 250 from a signal relating to an output voltage received from each microwave radiometer 202. The server 206 receives a signal relating to the output voltage from a plurality of microwave radiometers 202, respectively, and whether the object is a person or a flame from a pattern of the signal relating to the output voltage for each microwave radiometer over time. It can be determined whether or not.

As an example, the server 206 may determine that the object is a person (or an intruder) when an output voltage of a predetermined magnitude or more is sequentially detected by two or more microwave radiometers 202 disposed adjacent to each other. In this case, when it is determined that the object is a human, the server 206 may determine a region inside or outside the structure 250 corresponding to each microwave radiometer 202 for which an output voltage of the set magnitude or more is detected (that is, each microwave radio). The position of the meter 202 or the area inside or outside the structure 250 to which the antenna of each microwave radio meter 202) is sequentially connected according to the detection order of the output voltage equal to or greater than the set magnitude. I can understand the movement line.

As another example, the server 206 may determine that the object is a flame when an output voltage of a set magnitude or more is continuously detected for two or more times set by the two or more microwave radiometers 202.

That is, the server 206 may efficiently detect whether an intrusion or fire occurs in the structure 250 from patterns of signals collected in different areas located inside or outside the structure 250.

In addition, when it is determined that the object is a person or a flame, the server 206 may transmit a notification message to a manager terminal (not shown). The notification message may include identification information of the structure 250, information indicating whether the object is a person or a flame, information on a time when an intrusion or a fire occurred, information on a human's copper wire, and the like. Accordingly, the manager can immediately identify when the intrusion or fire occurs in the structure 250.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a signal pattern of an output voltage for each microwave radiometer 202 according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6A is an example of a pattern of signals relating to the output voltage received from radiometer A of FIG. 3, and FIG. 6B is a pattern of signals relating to the output voltage received from radiometer B of FIG. 6C is an example of a pattern of signals relating to an output voltage received from radiometer C of FIG. 3, and FIG. 6D is an output voltage received from radiometer D of FIG. An example of a pattern of signals concerning.

Referring to FIG. 6, it can be seen that output voltages having a predetermined magnitude (for example, 5V) or more are sequentially detected by two or more radiometers disposed adjacent to each other, that is, radiometers A, B, C, and D. In this case, the server 206 determines that the generation of the signal regularly occurs according to the movement of the person or the animal as the person (or the intruder) or the animal moves around or inside the structure 250, and is sequentially detected. From the regularity of the signal it can be determined that the subject is a person (or intruder).

Since the sequential signal detection pattern (or regular signal generation pattern) according to the copper line is distinguished from the pattern of the signal generated by the flame, it is effective to drastically improve the false detection rate of fire detection. In addition, since the antenna 204 of the microwave radiometer 202 has a narrow beam width, the antenna gain (or sensitivity) is also very good, and the accuracy of human and fire detection is also very high.

FIG. 7 is an illustration for explaining a process of identifying a human wire according to the signal pattern shown in FIG. 6 in the server 206 according to another embodiment of the present invention. As described above, when it is determined that the object is a human, the server 206 detects the position of the region corresponding to each of the microwave radiometers 202 for which the output voltage of the set magnitude or more is detected. You can connect people in order to understand the movement of people.

In the example of FIG. 6, the server 206 may sequentially connect the positions of the regions corresponding to each of the microwave radiometers 202 for which the output voltage of the set magnitude or more is detected according to the detection order of the output voltage of the set magnitude or more. Therefore, the human wire is ““ area (area a) in structure 250 corresponding to radiometer A → area (area b) in structure 250 corresponding to radiometer B → structure corresponding to radiometer C It can be seen that the area within the region 250 (area c) → the area within the structure 250 corresponding to the radiometer D "

As an example, such a structure monitoring system 200 may be utilized as a cultural property monitoring system irrelevant to the climate. For example, when a person trespasses on a cultural property, a signal about an output voltage according to a person's position is sequentially received by a high frequency radiometer 202 that gazes at different areas within the structure 250 according to the human's movement. In this case, the server 206 may see a human's copper wire outside the structure 250 from a sequential signal detection pattern (or a regular signal generation pattern) in real time.

That is, according to embodiments of the present invention, the intruder in the structure 250 is quickly detected from the pattern of the output voltage for each of the microwave radiometers 202 over time, and the intruder's copper wire is grasped in real time to determine the structure ( 250) Can respond quickly to intrusions. In addition, according to embodiments of the present invention, unlike the conventional infrared or visible light camera, the intrusion of the structure is detected by the microwave radiometer 202 existing outside the structure 250 and the intruder monitors, that is, Since it is physically isolated from the microwave radiometer 202, there is an advantage that an intruder cannot disable the monitoring device.

FIG. 8 shows another example of a pattern of signals related to output voltages of the microwave radiometers 102 according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8A is an example of a pattern of signals relating to the output voltage received from radiometer A of FIG. 3, and FIG. 8B is a pattern of signals relating to the output voltage received from radiometer B of FIG. 8C is an example of a pattern of signals relating to an output voltage received from radiometer C of FIG. 3, and FIG. 8D is an output voltage received from radiometer D of FIG. An example of a pattern of signals concerning.

Referring to FIG. 8, it can be seen that an output voltage of a predetermined magnitude (for example, 2.10V) or more is continuously detected at two or more radiometers, that is, radiometers A, B, C, and D for a predetermined time. In this case, the server 206 may determine that a fire has occurred in the structure 250, and may determine that the object is a flame. In the case of flames, they tend to spread irregularly over time and last for a period of time. If a fire occurs in the structure 250, if such a continuous signal detection pattern (or irregular signal generation pattern) occurs, the server 206 immediately determines that a fire has occurred in the structure 250 therefrom. can do.

That is, according to embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to easily distinguish the person and the flame inside or outside the structure 250 from the pattern of the output voltage for each microwave radiometer 202 over time, accordingly The false positive rate of fire detection can be drastically improved. In addition, when a fire occurs in the wood structure 250 surrounding the object by the outer wall, a fire generated in the wood structure 250 may not be easily detected by a conventional infrared fire detection device, but the implementation of the present invention. In the case of the structure monitoring system 200 according to the examples it is possible to easily detect the fire generated from the wooden structure 250 using the ultra-high frequency radiometer 202 and will not be affected by weather such as bad weather when detecting the fire. .

9 is a flowchart illustrating a structure monitoring method according to an embodiment of the present invention. The method shown in FIG. 9 may be performed by, for example, the structure monitoring system 200 described above. In the illustrated flow chart, the method is divided into a plurality of steps, but at least some of the steps may be performed in a reverse order, in combination with other steps, omitted, divided into substeps, or not shown. One or more steps may be added and performed.

In operation S102, the plurality of microwave radiometers 202 generate output voltages corresponding to brightness temperatures of objects inside or outside the structure 250, respectively. As described above, the microwave radiometer 202 may include an antenna 204 for sensing the brightness temperature of the object. In this case, the antenna 204 has a beam width below a threshold value to have a gain equal to or greater than a set value, and each of the antennas 204 may face a different area located inside or outside the structure 250. It can be fixed to.

In step S104, the server 206 receives a signal relating to the output voltage from the plurality of microwave radiometers 202, respectively.

In step S106, the server 206 determines whether the object is a person or a flame from the pattern of the output voltage for each microwave radiometer over time.

As an example, the server 206 may determine that the object is a person (or an intruder) when an output voltage of a predetermined magnitude or more is sequentially detected by two or more microwave radiometers 202 disposed adjacent to each other. At this time, when it is determined that the object is a human, the server 206 determines the position of the region corresponding to each of the microwave radiometers 202 for which the output voltage of the set magnitude or more is detected according to the detection order of the output voltage of the set magnitude or more. You can connect people in sequence to figure out the movement of people.

As another example, the server 206 may determine that the object is a flame when an output voltage of a set magnitude or more is continuously detected for two or more times set by the two or more microwave radiometers 202.

10 is a block diagram illustrating and describing a computing environment 10 that includes a computing device suitable for use in example embodiments. In the illustrated embodiment, each component may have different functions and capabilities in addition to those described below, and may include additional components in addition to those described below.

The illustrated computing environment 10 includes a computing device 12. In one embodiment, computing device 12 may be a radiometer (eg, radiometer 100 or radiometer 202). In addition, computing device 12 may be an alerting device (eg, alerting device 120). In addition, computing device 12 may be a server device (eg, fire management server 160 or server 206).

Computing device 12 includes at least one processor 14, computer readable storage medium 16, and communication bus 18. The processor 14 may cause the computing device 12 to operate according to the example embodiments mentioned above. For example, processor 14 may execute one or more programs stored in computer readable storage medium 16. The one or more programs may include one or more computer executable instructions that, when executed by the processor 14, cause the computing device 12 to perform operations in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. Can be.

Computer readable storage medium 16 is configured to store computer executable instructions or program code, program data and / or other suitable forms of information. The program 20 stored in the computer readable storage medium 16 includes a set of instructions executable by the processor 14. In one embodiment, computer readable storage medium 16 includes memory (volatile memory, such as random access memory, nonvolatile memory, or a suitable combination thereof), one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash Memory devices, or any other form of storage medium that is accessible by computing device 12 and capable of storing desired information, or a suitable combination thereof.

The communication bus 18 interconnects various other components of the computing device 12, including the processor 14 and the computer readable storage medium 16.

Computing device 12 may also include one or more input / output interfaces 22 and one or more network communication interfaces 26 that provide an interface for one or more input / output devices 24. The input / output interface 22 and the network communication interface 26 are connected to the communication bus 18. The input / output device 24 may be connected to other components of the computing device 12 via the input / output interface 22. Exemplary input / output devices 24 may include pointing devices (such as a mouse or trackpad), keyboards, touch input devices (such as touchpads or touchscreens), voice or sound input devices, various types of sensor devices, and / or imaging devices. Input devices, and / or output devices such as display devices, printers, speakers, and / or network cards. The example input / output device 24 may be included inside the computing device 12 as one component of the computing device 12, and may be connected to the computing device 12 as a separate device from the computing device 12. It may be.

While the exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications can be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. . Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined by the claims below and equivalents thereof.

Claims (20)

1. A first antenna;

   A second antenna provided differently in direction of the first antenna from the radiation pattern;

   A signal processor detecting a voltage level corresponding to a first radiation propagation received from the first antenna and a voltage level corresponding to a second radiation propagation received from the second antenna; And

   And a signal analyzer configured to detect a temperature change of a target to which the first antenna is directed based on the voltage level corresponding to the first radiation propagation and the voltage level corresponding to the second radiation propagation.
2. The method according to claim 1,

   The first antenna is installed so that the radiation pattern direction is directed to the target to detect the change in temperature,

   And the second antenna is installed such that the radiation pattern direction is directed toward an object having an absolute temperature in the same range as the room in which the radiometer is installed.
3. The method according to claim 2,

   The radio meter,

   A first switch connected to the first antenna and the signal processor, the first switch being turned on according to a switching control signal to transfer first radiation radio waves received from the first antenna to the signal processor;

   A second switch connected to the second antenna and the signal processor, the second switch being turned on according to a switching control signal to transfer second radiation radio waves received from the second antenna to the signal processor; And

   The radiometer further comprises a switch control unit for controlling the operation of the first switch and the second switch.
4. The method according to claim 3,

   The switch control unit,

   And causing the first switch and the second switch to be periodically turned on alternately.
5. The method according to claim 4,

   The period in which the first switch and the second switch is turned on alternately,

   And set the gain change of the radiometer to be equal to or less than a preset threshold change value.
6. The method according to claim 4,

   The radiometer's temperature resolution ΔT is approximated by the following equation.

   (Mathematical formula)

   

   D: Duty ratio of the first switch

   T _SYS : equivalent temperature of the entire system of the radiometer

   τ _int : time at which the first or second radiation propagates in the integrator in the radiometer

   B: band of intermediate frequency in the radiometer

   G _SYS : Gain of the entire system of the radiometer

   ΔG _SYS : change in gain of the overall system of the radiometer during the first switch on since the second switch is on
7. A radiometer detecting a fire by detecting a change in temperature of the target; And

   An alarm device that transmits a fire occurrence signal to the outside when detecting a fire occurrence in the radio meter;

   The radio meter,

   A first antenna;

   A second antenna provided differently in direction of the first antenna from the radiation pattern;

   A signal processor detecting a voltage level corresponding to a first radiation propagation received from the first antenna and a voltage level corresponding to a second radiation propagation received from the second antenna; And

   And a signal analyzer configured to detect a temperature change of the target to which the first antenna is directed based on the voltage level corresponding to the first radiation propagation and the voltage level corresponding to the second radiation propagation.
8. One or more processors, and

   A method performed in a computing device having a memory that stores one or more programs executed by the one or more processors, the method comprising:

   Detecting a voltage level corresponding to the first radiation propagation received from the first antenna;

   Detecting a voltage level corresponding to second radiation propagation received from a second antenna having a different direction of radiation pattern from the first antenna; And

   Detecting a temperature change of a target to which the first antenna is directed based on a voltage level corresponding to the first radiation propagation and a voltage level corresponding to the second radiation propagation.
9. The method according to claim 8,

   The first antenna is installed so that the radiation pattern direction is directed to the target to detect the change in temperature,

   The second antenna is installed so that the radiation pattern direction is directed toward an object having an absolute temperature of the same range as the room where the radiometer is installed.
10. The method according to claim 8,

    The operating method of the radio meter,

    Controlling an operation of a first switch connected to the first antenna and a second switch connected to the second antenna;

    The controlling may include periodically switching on the first switch and the second switch.
11. The method according to claim 10,

    The period in which the first switch and the second switch is turned on alternately,

    And the gain change of the radiometer is set to be equal to or less than a preset threshold change value.
12. A plurality of microwave radiometers disposed at a predetermined interval within a predetermined distance from the structure and generating output voltages corresponding to brightness temperatures of objects inside or outside the structure; And

    Receiving a signal relating to the output voltage from the plurality of microwave radiometer, respectively, and a server for determining whether the object is a person or a flame from the pattern of the signal of the output voltage for each microwave radiometer over time Including, surveillance system.
13. The method according to claim 12,

    The ultra-high frequency radio meter has an antenna for sensing the brightness temperature of the object,

    The antenna having a beam width below a threshold such that the antenna has a gain above a set value.
14. The method according to claim 13,

    Each of the antennas,

    And secured to the microwave radiometer to face different areas located inside or outside the structure.
15. The method according to claim 12,

    The server,

    And determine that the object is a human when output voltages of a predetermined magnitude or more are sequentially detected in two or more microwave radio meters disposed adjacent to each other.
16. The method according to claim 15,

    The server,

    If it is determined that the object is a human, the position of the region corresponding to each of the microwave radiometers at which the output voltage of the set magnitude or more is detected is sequentially connected in accordance with the detection order of the output voltage of the set magnitude or more to identify the human wire. , Surveillance system.
17. The method according to claim 12,

    And the server determines that the object is a flame when an output voltage of a set magnitude or more is continuously detected for a set time in two or more microwave radiometers.
18. The method according to claim 12,

    The server,

    If it is determined that the object is a person or a flame, the monitoring system for transmitting a notification message to the manager terminal.
19. The method according to claim 12,

    The microwave radiometer is disposed outside of the structure.
20. The method according to claim 19,

    The structure is a non-metallic structure that surrounds the object with an outer wall.

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